Fang and Iggy
by wingedthing1026
Summary: Each chapter is a Figgy/FangxIggy oneshot. Very cute, probably fluffy. T for kisses and things, but nothing yucky I promise!
1. A Little Winter Walk

Fang had Iggy by the hand as they walked through the little down town. It was a cute little place, especially at Christmastime, with twinkling lights and little window displays. Smoke wisped from the chimneys of the antique houses lining the street, filling the spaces in between the storefronts. The smell of wood fires and peppermint wafted, and the scent of candied walnuts being sold on the corner was so thick you could taste it. Snow was falling lightly, sticking to Iggy's eyelashes. The taller of the two boys, Fang, released Iggy's hand only to put an arm over his shoulders, keeping him warm. Iggy was very fair and thin, and Fang could feel him shiver when the wind blew. Iggy rested his head against Fang, his knitted hat making his peachy hair into a flip. Fang smiled.

The two walked through the little town slowly, taking their time, Fang in his thick fleece and gloves, Iggy in a heavy sweater, preferring mittens. Iggy's fair, freckly cheeks and nose were red from the chill, and frosty snowflakes collected on his eyelashes, making his crystalline blue eyes even brighter, despite the fact that he was blind.

They walked like this for a while, both smiling at nothing but each other's company. It was a rare occasion that they could be alone like this, and they intended to use all of their time together in the best way possible.

"Fang what does it look like?" Iggy asked suddenly as the two came to a stop just outside of a little candy store, admiring the extravagant window display. Despite his blindness, Iggy didn't ask sadly. He loved it when Fang described his surroundings to him, and it brought a smile to Fang's face knowing he was making Iggy happy.

"It's very pretty…It's a big window with holly leaves all around and lots of little red holly berries. The entire thing is strung with Christmas tree lights. The window has lots of little hand prints. I guess lots of little kids touched it or something." Iggy laughed at this.

"Keep going. What's in the window?"

"It's a candy shop, so…There's lots of those little fancy chocolates. They're really beautiful, actually. They've all got little holly leaves on them and candy pearls and stuff…There are these big glass vases full of jellybeans, too. One of them has all red ones, and the next one has all green ones, and there's one with a ton of gold Sixlets, you know those little chocolate things?"

"sort of like M&Ms only little balls of chocolate?"

"Yah those. You like them, don't you?"

"Who doesn't?" he laughed, wrapping his arm around Fang's waist, Fang's arm still over his shoulders.

"Want to go in? I want one of those fancy chocolate things."

"I want one too." he agreed, letting Fang guide him inside by the hand. The heat of the little store was welcoming, and the smell of melting chocolate filled the air. Iggy smiled, enjoying the smells and sounds; candy being taken from jars by little hands, change being handed over the counter, Christmas songs chiming lightly in the background, hardly noticeable over all of the excitement. Fang lead Iggy to the counter where hundreds of little chocolates resided behind the glass in tiny paper cups.

"What can I get for you boys?" the man behind the counter asked. He was an older man, with graying hair, but he was in fairly good shape and wore a fleecy vest over a long sleeved tee shirt. He wore glasses, square ones, that framed big brown eyes. He was the sort of person Fang would have liked to have as a grandfather.

"hm…What do you want, Ig?" he asked, grabbing the other's hand through his mittens.

"is there a salted caramel? Those are the best." He smiled in the man's direction, and he smiled back.

"Sure thing." He said retrieving one of them and placing it on the counter just in front of Iggy, who stood patiently, his eyes flicking back and forth across the room. The man behind the counter looked at him, a bit puzzled, and picked up the little chocolate, then extended a hand to give it to Iggy, who, again, did not retrieve it. Iggy bit his lip, leaning on Fang when he sensed an awkward silence. Fang took the candy from the man behind the counter and placed it carefully in Iggy's hand.

"Got it?" he asked the red-head, whose cheeks grew hot in embarrassment.

"Yah…Sorry." He appologised to the shop owner, who was also visibly embarrassed.

"No no, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were- I mean-"

"It's okay." Iggy replied with a smile. "Happens all the time. Fang you get one too." he finished, changing the subject. It was true, though. This sort of thing happened to Iggy often, and he had learned to brush it off. It upset him when he was little, but now, he took it almost as a compliment. If someone couldn't tell he was blind, he must have been hiding his handicap well, which was a good thing, because it made him very self-conscious.

"I'll take the coconut one, please." He said, pointing to a tray of candies under the glass. The man retrieved it and handed it to him in another little paper cup. "How much?" Fang asked, pulling his wallet out of his pocket.

"They're on me." He said with a grin. Iggy bowed his eyebrows.

"No we have to pay you…" he said. "We can't just take these."

"No. Have them. It's the least I can do for you." He said, patting Iggy on the shoulder, unsure of what else to do to make the blind boy understand. Iggy smiled.

"Thank you." He put his head on Fang's shoulder, smiling broadly.

"Merry Christmas!" Fang said as they walked out of the store, putting his arm around Iggy's waist, Iggy doing the same.

"Hey boys." The man called again from behind the counter, seeing their interaction. Iggy and Fang stopped in the doorway and turned around. The man said nothing, just motioned for Fang to look up. In the doorway hung a little sprig of mistletoe. Fang smiled, grabbing Iggy's hands.

"Mistletoe, Ig." He whispered facing the other, shorter boy. Iggy gave him a sort of crooked smile as Fang gave him a peck on the lips, which Iggy returned.

"Love you, Fang."

"I love you too, Ig."


	2. A Visit from Max

(Hi you guys! Everyone was saying how well written the first little chapter was, so this took me a long time, trying to keep up to that standard. I hope you guys like it : ) It's a little more dramatic and has a bit more of a plot than the first chapter, but I hope that's okay! Thanks for reading!)

"Wake up, Handsome!" Iggy chimed, pushing open the bedroom door with his back, carrying a tray of all sorts of breakfast things. Fang sat up groggily but with a smile, reaching out and holding Iggy's wrist, guiding him down onto the bed where he sat and handed Fang the tray.

"Made you an omelet with the eggs that lady brought by yesterday." Iggy said, pouring orange juice out of the tumbler and into a wine glass, almost miraculously not missing a drop.

"That was nice of her to bring them over." Fang said, looking at everything Iggy had brought; the eggs, two pieces of toast from the bread he whipped up the day before, strawberries from the garden in the back yard, and a stack of two little pancakes with butter, residing on a teacup's saucer.

"yah…her and her little girl came over yesterday while you were out getting groceries in town." He snuggled down next to Fang, putting his head on Fang's shoulder.

They moved out of Ms. Martinez's house just a year before, but already they had made a life together in a little town in Maine. The house was cozy, with only a bathroom, two bedrooms (though they only needed one) and a kitchen that opened into the little den, but it was perfect for them. Max and the gang had even come to visit. They had taken well to Fang and Iggy's decision to be together, even Max, and they seemed to like spending time in their little house, piling onto the sofas and into the extra bedroom. They had made friends with their neighbors, and were well liked. Life was beautiful and perfect for the first time in either of their existences.

"Iggy you didn't have to do this for me."

"I know, but I did anyway. And I'm going to eat half of it." he grinned. Fang pushed Iggy's head down onto the pillow, making the skinny redhead snort, laughing.

"The wine glasses are a nice touch, I must say." Fang added, filling the other glass and handing it to Iggy. He took the glass and tapped it against Fang's. The darker boy laughed, dipping his finger into the cream on the pancakes and dabbing it on Iggy's nose, then licking it off.

Iggy set his head down on Fang's shoulder, the two of them completely relaxed together, Fang's arm around Iggy's shoulders as he ate his pancakes, one bite for him, one for Iggy. Everything was wonderful until the knock at the door.

"Oh crap Fang what time is it?"

"hm? Eight, wh—oh crap Max!" he said, swinging his legs off of the bed and scurrying to the kitchen where he put down the tray and opened the door while Iggy quickly tidied the den (which pretty much meant putting away the x-box and folding the blankets over the back of the couch)

"Hey what's up?" Fang asked nonchalantly, as if they were completely ready for her. Iggy stumbled up behind him a moment later, shaking the hair out of his face.

"Hey Max." he said with a smile.

"Hey guys!" she said greeted them, handing Fang the pot of flowers she had brought for them.

"Those smell nice. What are they?" Iggy asked, filling a glass with ice and water and setting it down on the table for Max.

"Tulips." She answered, pushing her wavy blonde hair behind her ear. "Gosh I missed you guys." She added, relatively suddenly, hugging Iggy warmly, then moving on to Fang. He accepted her hug, but couldn't help but feel a little awkward and even guilty. Max had loved Fang unconditionally for most of their young teenage years, and to be completely truthful, Fang had known he wasn't interested in her the entire time.

Max was upset at first, when Fang told her what was really going on, but took it much better than he thought she would. He was seventeen when he told her, after he and Iggy had spent the day alone. Fang was the one who professed his love, and to his relief, Iggy felt the same way. It was perfect, except for Max, and it made Fang feel terrible. She had gone to her room and cried after he told her, but just a few hours later she emerged and told them both that she loved them and didn't say another word about it…that also made Fang upset. That's why he asked her to come over; to talk to her.

Iggy gave Fang a meek smile as they all sat down at the table over a pile of lunchmeat and other sandwich things Iggy had prepared.

"So…How's everyone?" Iggy asked Max. She and Dylan had moved in together just before Fang and Iggy moved out, but the rest of the gang was still living with Ms. Martinez, and Max and Dylan lived down the street. Fang and Iggy lived the farthest away.

Max shrugged, sitting at the table with her half eaten sandwich. It was strange how none of them felt awkward around each other at all, even after everything that had happened. Max was still Max, Fang was still Fang, Iggy was still Iggy. Everything might as well have been normal.

"Everyone's really great!" she smiled. "Gazzy misses you, Iggy, so does everyone, but they're happy for you guys. Nudge has been arranging your wedding." Iggy snorted.

"Fang's gonna wear the dress." He said, resting his head on the other boy's shoulder.

"Nah. You're the one with the figure, Ig." Max laughed

"I know girls who would die for his body." She joked.

"yah yah, whatever." He laughed. "That's probably a long way off anyway…" Fang shrugged.

"Max and Dylan are engaged." He said, flashing a smile at Max, grabbing Iggy's hand quietly on the table, subtle enough not to be noticed by anyone but them. Iggy slid his skinny fingers in between Fang's Max smiled as well.

"I love your house. It's so cozy and pretty." Max said, looking up at the beams in the ceiling supporting the small upstairs loft. It was a cute little house, nestled back against the woods. All of the walls had white bead-board wainscoting, as well as little crown moldings around the ceiling. Since the house was old, the kitchen was quaint and very unique, with a large cutting board for a center island and white painted cabinets. The living room was much the same, but included a fireplace with a mantle where Fang and Iggy kept their loose change jar and a few photos they had taken, as well as pictures the rest of the gang had given to them. Above the mantle hung their little TV. It was all they needed. they were simple guys, and as long as they had a fridge and an x-box, they'd be okay.

"It is nice." Fang agreed. "Iggy liked the low doorways. I don't know why, but he got a kick out of that."  
He smiled, As did Iggy.

"The doors are cool." Iggy said. "I can put stuff on top of the doorframe so I can find it easy." Max agreed.

"Good plan." She nodded. "Iggy you're so funny. It's no wonder Fang likes you." She said, almost sadly, continuing to eat her sandwich, starting with the crust and moving to the good part after it was gone.

"Yah…I-I mean…You're okay with…us, right?" he asked, unsure what to say. Everything made sense when he and Iggy planned the conversation the night before, but it was coming out pretty roughly now.

"Oh Fang you know I am! As long as you're happy that's all I care about." Iggy picked at his fingernails, feeling a little awkward, deciding not to say anything, and stood up to clear the table.

"I just feel like I totally lead you on…" Fang added, casting his dark eyes down, suddenly finding his lap very interesting.

"Fang we were fifteen." She said with a bit of a laugh. "I'm twenty two, you and Iggy are twenty one. We're adults, Fang. That happened when we were kids. Both of us were confused, believe me." She reassured him. He smiled meekly back at her, playing with the end of his fork, a habit he had picked up from Iggy.

"Fang, looking back, it was pretty obvious from the beginning." She added. "You two were ALWAYS together. You made up excuses to hold his hand, you would leave 'for a fly' and not come back for hours. You guys were just…made for each other. Don't worry about what I think. As long as you're happy, I'm happy." Iggy smiled to himself, putting the leftovers in the fridge, running a hand through his hair.

"Thanks, Max…" he said after a few seconds, then looked up and grinned at her, his slightly too-high canine teeth standing out, as they always had. That was why they called him Fang: When his 'grown up' teeth came in, his canines sat much higher than the rest of his mouth, and braces aren't really an option when you're on the run with no money for the majority of your childhood. "How's Dylan?" Fang asked, changing the subject, moving on.

"Oh he's great! You're coming to the wedding, right?" she asked, playing with the ring on her finger. "Next spring! It's so exciting!"

"'course we're coming!" Iggy cooed, cleaning up the mess he and Fang had left from breakfast. "It's going to be great."

"Aw you guys are the best." She said standing, helping Iggy with the dishes. "I've even started cooking lessons so we'll be able to eat." She laughed. Max was notorious for being a bad cook; the last thing she had tried to make was macaroni and cheese about seven years ago. It was so bad, it didn't even deserve to be called macaroni. Instead, the flock called it Maxeroni and Cheese, and they hadn't let her live it down.

"No more Maxeroni?" Fang laughed, pulling his hair back. He let it get long again, and the thin dark sheet of hair hung almost to his waist.

"Never. again." She said, shaking her head. "Crap I have to go, you guys. Dylan's expecting me home for noon." Fang and Iggy stood up again, the smaller of the two retrieving a Tupperware from the refrigerator and handing it to Max.

"You guys eat pasta every night because that's all Dylan can cook." Iggy said, sitting up on the counter. "It's just a chicken parmasian, but it's better than plain noodles." He shrugged.

"Aw thanks, Ig!" she said, giving him a hug which he returned happily.

"Come back soon, kay? Visit again." Fang hugged her as well. Max slipped her hand up his neck and to the back of his head, her hand in his hair, holding herself a bit too close to for Fang. Fang released her, startled at the action, and was glad Iggy wasn't able to see it, for it would have made him horribly upset. Fang knew that Max still loved him, and that, even though she hid it well, she was still a bit miffed that Fang had lied to her and left her. It wasn't that he blamed her…he thought it was almost subconscious to embrace him in that way. Even so, he did not appreciate what she had done, and flashed her a very harsh look, but only for a second before softening again and walking her to the door.

"See ya later, Iggy!" she said as she walked out the door, followed by Fang.

"Max?" Fang said, almost sharply, after closing the door, looking at Max as she stood parallel to him on the little front porch.

"Yah…?" she replied, knowing what was coming.

"Don't do that again." He said, rubbing the back of his neck as if to wipe the Max away.

"…sorry." She nearly whispered, looking to her feet meekly. "I…I didn't mean it like that, I just—"

"It's alright…I know, I know…It's okay. Just…You're lucky Iggy can't see."

"I'm sorry, Fang, it's just…I—I still…feel something for you, and…I couldn't help myself, I wanted to get that back even though…" she wiped her watery eyes. Fang approached her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't want to make you upset. That's not my intent. But you just have to let go, Max. I owe it to Iggy…I lied to him more than I lied to you…I blew him off for years. _Years_, Max. I'm sorry, but…We're…Both of us are with the people we belong with." He smiled. "Dylan loves the living daylights out of you. You owe him as much love as he gives to you." Max smiled, playing with her simple engagement ring on her finger, looking at how beautiful it was, just like the man who had given it to her.

"You're right." She said finally, walking down the front steps. "Go back inside. Iggy's waiting for you." She gave him a big grin and began walking down their driveway, turning and waving as she went, waiting until she was out of sight of the little town to take off back home.

Fang smiled and walked back inside where he scooped Iggy right off the counter, one arm under his knees, the other cradling his upper body.

"Hey Baby-Doll." He said, making Iggy's nose go pink.

"Hey Sweet Potato."

"I love you now and I'll love you later!" Fang finished the lyric to their song, putting Iggy down carefully on the sofa, sitting next to him and holding him close. Iggy laughed.

"What'd you say to Max outside?" he asked, leaning against Fang's strong torso, enjoying the warmth radiating off of his satin skin.

"Oh nothing…she just…She was being stupid." Iggy bowed his eyebrows, suspicious.

"Why what did she do?"

"She sort of…I don't even know. She sort of ran her hand up my back and it just…was weird."

"She's still got a thing for you, I think."

"I know…But don't worry. Everything's perfect." He smiled, pressing his lips to Iggy's forehead, just at his hairline. "I love you. Just you." Iggy smiled. "I just love you too." Fang leaned down, propping his back up against the arm of the sofa, letting Iggy lean on his chest. He used his hand to brush Iggy's light reddish hair up and off of his forehead, repeating the motion in soothing repetition, just gazing down at Iggy, into his crystal blue eyes until he closed them, asleep.

Fang smiled at his sleeping form, and, not wanting to wake Iggy, he just sat, letting Iggy lay there, simply content with everything.


	3. An Old Box of Photo Albums

It was a chilly fall day, not too cold, but just frosty enough to make going outside uncomfortable. Fang was up in the small loft space in their little house, looking diligently for the winter-things. Their light sweatshirts weren't cutting it anymore, and Iggy was always walking around covered in a blanket. Iggy never complained. He hadn't since he was very little, particularly after having his eyes ruined. He didn't want to be a bother or make anyone else's life difficult, so Fang had to pay close attention to him to see to it that Iggy's needs—and wants—were all met.

"Did you find my thick ski socks?" Iggy called from downstairs. "Do you want help?"

"Not yet…" Fang replied, shifting boxes and moving things around. It wasn't a particularly large storage space, but he sure was having a hard time finding the box of winter things. "Just stay down there I don't need help." He said with a sigh to himself. He hated having to tell Iggy not to help him. He knew the other boy wanted to help and wanted to pull his weight, and it wasn't that Iggy would be in his way. He just didn't want anything to happen to him. The loft was open to the rest of the house. Iggy could fall, he could break glass and hurt himself…Fang knew Iggy hated being treated like that, but he had hurt himself in similar ways before, and Fang couldn't stand to see him hurt.

"Want a hot chocolate?" he called up again, going stir crazy waiting for Fang to haul the box down so they could unpack the cold-weather clothes and stow away the summer things. Iggy knew he would be able to do that; he could fold. That's what Jeb always had him do on chore day when they were little kids, still living in their e-shaped house on the cliff, with the forest and the tree house and the little winding road.

"Yah sure! Do we have whipped cream?" Fang sometimes had bizarre cravings for whipped cream. It was just one of those weird things…Everyone has a favorite food that they'd run to the store at any hour to get. Fang's was whipped cream.

"um…I think we have heavy cream…I'll make some." Iggy replied, feeling around in the refrigerator. The fridge was Iggy's domain. Fang took great care whenever he removed something, for the shelves and drawers were all carefully organized in such a way so that Iggy knew exactly where everything was. It was one of the many things about Iggy that Fang found simply amazing, along with nearly everything else he did. Fang really did have trouble finding anything legitimately wrong with Iggy. Everyone had their flaws, but all of Iggy's were…cute, in a way. Sort of no big deal. He was very sensitive and was easy to upset, but that only gave Fang a reason to comfort him and be closer to him. Iggy sometimes got angry when Fang misplaced something or left the bedroom a mess, but that was Fang's fault as well. He often forgot that Iggy was in fact handicapped, and that he had to keep things in their place so he could find them.

"Even better!" he replied, finally reaching the back wall of the loft space. "This must be the box…" he said, tugging at a giant cardboard box against the wall, under the little circular window sitting just above the front door. He slid it down the stairs, not wanting to hurt his back. (because of their wings, their backs were a bit different than that of a normal person, and were easily strained by heavy lifting, like 100 pound boxes of heavy sweaters and mittens and gloves.)

Iggy was busy with the whisk, whipping up the heavy cream while the milk boiled and the chocolate melted. Iggy didn't believe in 'instant' food. Freeze dried things just creeped him out. That, and food made from scratch was usually full of calories and proteins that packaged stuff wasn't, which was good for two bird kids with wicked fast metabolisms.

"Find it?" Iggy asked, pouring two big mugs of cocoa.

"I think so." Fang replied, pushing the box over to the sofa with his legs, leaving a dusty smudge on his jeans. He pulled the box open, letting the cardboard flaps hang to the sides, and looked inside with a smile. It wasn't winter clothes, but it was a mice surprise. "Wow I didn't know we had this many pictures!" he exclaimed, taking out all of the dusty photo albums, sweeping the powdery years off of the cover and pealing the book open, flipping through the albums.

"Pictures? Those ones Max gave us from Ms. Martinez?"

"Yah…There are a ton here." Iggy shrugged, flicking whipped cream onto the hot chocolate with a spoon, then breaking off a piece of a chocolate bar and putting it on top. He brought the mugs over to the couch were Fang was sitting, and took a place next to him, blowing across the top of the mug to cool down the scalding cocoa. Fang balanced his carefully on his lap with one hand, and continued flipping photo album pages with the other.

"Pictures don't really do it for me." Iggy said with a smile, pulling his head on Fan's shoulder.

"I know…I'm sorry. I'll tell you what's in them, if you want." He offered. Iggy liked having things described to him. The other boy had a vivid imagination and could put pictures together well in his mind.

"okay." Iggy answered, sipping his cocoa. It was literally melted chocolate bar in a cup, and it was delicious.

"Most of the ones in this book are of Ella…We should probably give it back to Ms. M." he said, flipping quickly through the pages, watching little Ella grow up before his eyes, from her first bubble bath to her first bike and first day of fifth grade. "It's all just her standing and smiling in different places…" Fang shrugged.

"We haven't seen Ella in a while…" Iggy said, playing with Fang's long hair, threading it through his fingers.

"We'll visit soon…Maybe tomorrow. We could stay for the weekend. You used to have a little crush on Ella, remember?" Fang mentioned, chuckling.

"Yah…" the other replied, his cheeks turning red and hot. "I think it was just because she was the first person outside the flock who didn't harass me." He said with a little laugh, trying to cover his embarrassment.

"Iggy everyone loves you." Fang smiled, kissing his temple, just above his ear. "Everyone's just jealous of you."

"Yah that's what it is." He said sarcastically, rolling his glassy eyes.

"You're right…" Fang said, grabbing Iggy's hand. The redhead's expression changed drastically, his ears turning pink. "They're not jealous of you. They're jealous of me because I get you all to myself." He smiled, taking Iggy's chin in his hand and turning it towards him, giving him a little peck on the nose, giving him a taste before moving down to his lips. Iggy smiled as they pulled apart. He dipped his skinny finger into the whipped cream in his mug and dapped it on Fang's nose.

"Payback for the pancakes." He said, remembering how Fang put a finger-full of fluffed up butter on his nose after making pancakes. Fang laughed.

"You're too funny, Ig."

"Are there more pictures? Are there any of us?" Iggy asked, taking another sip of his now-idea-temperature hot chocolate. Fang's was already a frothy film on the bottom.

"Yah there are a ton here. This book's full of pictures of us. This one's all of us flying around Ms. M's yard…Gosh we're so little! It looks like you just pulled out of a dive. Your sneakers are in the leaves of the trees. The rest of us are sort of just above you…I think it was meant to be a picture of you…" Iggy smiled.

"I used to do that all the time. I thought it was cool that I could just, like, pull out at just the perfect second so that I hit the trees with my feet."

"And not die. Remember when I tried it?"

"You fell into the trees and broke your arm." Iggy laughed. Fang chuckled and flipped the page.

"This one's you and Max sitting in a tree with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches… I think we're all there, I can see my hand next to you on the branch, but just you and Max are in the picture." Fang dictated, looking through the rest of the pictures on the page. Ms. Martinez took quite a few pictures of the same thing, just with all of the kids in slightly different positions, taking four or five pictures all in a row. "This one's funny…sort of…It's the perfect action shot of milk coming out of Gazzy's nose all over Angel." Iggy laughed.

"I remember that! It was my fault I said something that made him laugh."

"You make everyone laugh." Fang said, nuzzling his nose against Iggy's cheek. He flipped the page. "This picture was our Christmas card a few years ago, when we were nineteen, I think…I have that cut on my arm from when I helped that guy getting mugged, remember?"

"I was with you! It was went Ms. M brought us to New York for the weekend."

"Yah, I remember. You heard the guy yelling then we went to help him." Fang looked at the picture again and laughed. "This picture is so lame. We're all wearing Santa hats, but it's the middle of summer. Angel's smiling, but she's missing, like, all of her teeth. Your hat's on crooked and Max is doing that thing where one eye is open more than the other... I don't know if you knew, but she does that all the time in pictures. I just look miserable. My hair's all a mess. That was just when it was getting long again, like, shoulder length. We look like a colony of hobos in Christmas hats." Iggy laughed.

"You always used to look miserable!" he said. "You were like one of those Goth teenagers with the hair in your face all the time and your combat boots."

"You're the one that turned me on to high tops." He said.

Fang reached into the box and pulled out another photo album. This one was a little nicer than the others, with a cloth cover and a nice bindings holding all of the pictures in place. It was more a scrapbook than a photo album, but Fang had never seen it before, and didn't know where it came from.

"What is it?" Iggy asked when Fang was quiet for a bit.

"nothing I just found a scrapbook sort of thing, though…I don't remember it from Ms. Martinez's house."

"What's in it?" he asked, with an undertone of curiosity and anticipation. Fang didn't answer right away. When he pulled back the cover, he saw something he didn't expect: the entire book was filled with pictures of him and Iggy. There were even pictures from when they were little, back at the E-shaped house.

"The whole thing is pictures of me and you." He said, thumbing through the pages quickly before returning to the first page. "There are even ones from back when we were really little…Pictures that Jeb took at the house up on the cliff."

"Really?"

"Yah. There are pictures all the way back to the first few days we were there…This one's of me walking you around the yard. That was only a few weeks after you went blind, at the most. This one's me and you with our wings out, but we're really little…like, seven or eight. The feathers are still all fluffy and downy, you know?"

"Where did they come from?"

"Someone must have taken them from the house before we left…" he said. That was the only explanation he could think of…They must have been in someone's bag when they left the house all those years ago.

"Hm…Are they all from when we're little?"

"No…The beginning is when we're little, but the rest is after we started living with Ms. Martinez. All of the recent ones are me and you…together. Like, this one's me and you together on the couch watching a movie with everyone. My arm's holding you and you're leaning against my side. This one's of us walking and holding hands. The next one's actually really good; it's just our faces, and your arms are on my shoulders and our foreheads are together." He smiled and slid the picture out of the plastic sleeve. "I'll put it in a frame." he put one arm around Iggy, rubbing his side while he leaned against him, his blonde-orange hair falling over Fang's shoulder.

"Are there more?" he asked. Iggy loved having images and objects described to him. He wanted to know what everything looked like. Iggy could remember seeing, and having things described to him helped him recall exactly what everything looked like.

"Yup. There's one of me and you on Halloween and you're all wrapped up in my Wings. We let our wings out instead of a costume, remember?"

"Yah and everyone wanted to touch them and see how we 'made' them. Remember that one kid felt my shoulder and was like 'That's so fake I can feel the wire! They look real though!'?" he laughed, recalling the cocky teenager.

"That was funny." Fang agreed, flipping to the final page. Most of the images were four by six inches, but the one on the last page was a full sized, eight-and-a-half by eleven. "The last picture in the book is me and you at Lincolnville Beach standing on top of our rock."

"Aw our rock. The tall one by the grass with the fallen tree on it?"

"mm hm." Fang nodded. "I'm holding your hands and kissing you." He smiled, putting his forehead on Iggy's, just like the last picture.

"Sort of like this?" the other boy said, giving Fang a kiss on the upper lip, his favorite place.

"Just like that." Fang said with a smile." He flipped over the last picture, exposing the inside of the back cover, just to make sure that was really the last picture. It was the last photograph, but written on the back cover in Max's curly handwriting was a little note.

"Hey Iggy I think Max wrote something back here."

"Read it." he said, curious. "What does it say?"

"Dear Fang and Iggy,

We couldn't ask for better friends than you. You guys are the best, and you've always been there for us, and I hope you know that we'll always be here for you too. At first, some of us ('like Max' that part is in pencil I think Nudge wrote that) were a little confused and even a little scared when you decided you wanted to be together, but now, we can all see that you two are just perfect and none of us would want it any other way. We found all of these pictures of you guys and put them together in a nice book. Iggy, we know that you can't see them, but Gazzy had the idea to put things all around the pictures for you to feel. Angel even glued some sand from Lincolnville onto the page. We know that's your favorite place.

But anyway, we just want you to know that we love you and we always will.

Love, The Flock,

Gazzy, Nudge, Angel, Ms. Martinez, Ella, Dylan, and Max.

(this next part's in Nudge's handwriting again) P.S. I snuck the album in with the other picture albums we gave you so that you would find it and be really surprised! Love you! Come visit soon!"

"That was so nice of them. They did all that just for us." Iggy smiled, rubbing Fang's arm.

"Yah. It was really nice of them." Fang agreed, resting his head on Iggy's. "you know, they're all really great…Sometimes they're really annoying, but they're still really great."

"mm hm." Iggy agreed, closing his eyes. "We have the best, weirdest family ever."


	4. A Visit with the Flock

~Yesterday, ReliveTheGreat said that they wanted a little more…physical action. Haha! I'll do my best to oblige!~

"Is all your stuff in the car, Fang?" Iggy called from the driveway to the other, taller boy through the open door.

"Just one more bag then we can go." He said, hauling his duffle bag down the front steps and tossing it into the trunk. "Did you get all of your stuff?"

"Yup. All in the trunk. It was so much easier to travel before we actually had all this crap to bring with us." Iggy joked, getting into the passenger seat of their car. They could have flown to Ms. Martinez's house to visit everyone, but they would have had to carry all of their luggage. Even though it wasn't much, only two duffle bags and a few other belongings, but flying always posed a risk that wasn't really worth taking. Though they were no longer really 'in hiding' per say, flying bird kids over suburbia isn't really a normal thing. They had plenty of open space to fly in their back yard and the acres of woods all around their little town. It wasn't a big deal. Fang liked driving, anyway.

He had insisted that they get a 'man car' which happened to be a GMC Sierra. A black one. A pickup truck was the perfect 'man car', in Fang's opinion, and Iggy really could care less as long as the passenger seat was comfy, but if he had his way, they'd be driving a little sports car.

Fang laughed at Iggy's comment, starting up the truck with a rumble.

"Bleh. Upstate New York. Long drive." Fang jokingly complained, tying his long hair back to the nape of his neck so it wouldn't hit the headrest.

"It'll be fine. We're staying for three days, so it'll be worth it." Iggy smiled, leaning back in the seat, his long, pale hands cradling his head.

"You're just going to fall asleep on me how you always do anyway." Fang laughed as he started down their long dirt driveway.

"Probably. But that will give you some time with your precious truck." Iggy retorted. "Wake me up when we're close." Fang smiled, batting the light orange hair out of Iggy's crystalline eyes.

"You got it."

ABOUT FIVE HOURS LATER: TEN IN THE MORNING

Just a year or two after the world was saved, Ms. Martinez had taken a gamble and started her own chain of veterinary clinics. It was a roaring success, and the first thing she did was move from the western to the eastern coast, partially because the kids wanted to, partially because both Max and Dylan and Iggy and Fang had moved there, and also because Ms. M wanted a bigger house to house her now-enormous family.

The house was in sight, now, on top of the hill overlooking a valley full of trees, a bowl of every color from dark green, waxy pine needles to pinkish, orange, and yellow-green leaves at their peak of autumn color.

The house itself was something special. It looked like a log cabin, but the whole garage was made of stone. It had three chimneys, and a huge deck that overhung the cliff, reminiscent of the E shaped house the flock had lived in when they were little. The yard was huge as well, with no neighbors for miles around, perfect for flying.

Iggy stirred when Fang turned onto their driveway, the change in terrain nudging him awake.

"Have a nice nap?" Fang asked.

"mm hm." He nodded, rubbing the sleepy haze out of his eyes. Iggy always fell asleep in the car. Within the first ten minutes of driving anywhere, he was out like a light. It irritated Iggy from time to time, that he just couldn't stay awake in the car, but Fang thought it was highly adorable, especially when he started mumbling or letting out little murmurs. Iggy had even been known to sneeze in his sleep, though that was only very occasionally now; he did it all the time when he was younger.

Fang pulled up to the house and parked next to the three-car garage and climbed out of the car, running around the front and scooping Iggy out of his seat before the redhead had time to get out himself, whisking him away and spinning him in a circle, one arm under his legs, the other under his upper torso.

"Fa-ang!" Iggy cooed as the taller of the two put him down. "Here give me something to carry in."

"No I can get it, don't worry. Just get your pillow and I'll get the rest." Iggy smiled meekly, knowing Fang wasn't going to let him carry anything, and didn't protest. Fang took their two duffle bags, one on each arm, and took Iggy's backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

"At least let me get your pillow and my blanket." Iggy said, hearing the slip of fabric against Fang's legs as he struggled with the bags.

"You don't have to—" he began, but Iggy had already pulled it all out of the trunk.

"Come on I want to see everyone." Iggy said, waiting for Fang to brush against his free hand so he could guide him.

"Oh I missed you guys so much!" Nudge shouted as soon as Fang came through the door. He put down the duffle bags and gave her a hug, lifting her toes off the floor. Nudge had remained much the same over the years. She was seventeen now, but she was still just as…Nudge. She had grown up quite a bit, though. She had always been fashion forward and outgoing, but more so as the years had gone. She even had an internship at a designing studio. She had also lost her kiddish awkwardness, filling out a bit, prettier, in a way. She had let her hair grow long and she had braided just the top of her head, letting the rest flow freely down her back.

Iggy followed Fang shortly, receiving a hug and an excited squeal from Ella almost immediately as Gazzy took all of the pillows under his arm and brought them to the guest room upstairs.

"Oh Iggy I'm so happy you guys came to visit." She said, her arms around his neck. Iggy hugged her back with a smile. "You look great!" she cooed, looking up into his face, his crystal blue eyes searching around blindly, a grin playing across his face.

"I would say the same thing, but…!" he joked, releasing her. Ella laughed.

"Fang why are you thinking about Ig—" he slapped a hand over her Angel's mouth. Though she was no longer very little girl, she was only twelve, and sometimes babbled thoughts out loud, sometimes by mistake, sometimes just to be fresh. It was easy to forget that she could quietly peek into your thoughts, and Fang was tired from driving on top of that. But it wasn't his fault. Thinking about your lover and what you do and/or do not want to do with them is perfectly normal. He just didn't want Angel describing his mental make-out to everyone, which is also perfectly normal. Angel just chuckled, Nudge shot her a nasty look. Iggy laughed, but tried to hide it. Fang just looked embarrassed.

"Hey you lame-o-s! Max called, walking into the foyer. "Don't leave all their crap laying around! Bring it up to the guest room!"

"We can do it." Iggy offered, but their bags had already vanished, as did Nudge, Angel, and Gazzy, who had just returned from the other room, leaving just the oldest flock members in the room. Dylan wondered in shortly after to say hello.

"Nice to see you guys." He said, flashing his perfect smile. Fang had been very bitter towards Dylan when he was younger, mostly because he was a change. Fang liked everything to remain the same, and Dylan threatened that. But over time, they had become rather good friends, and shared a happy greeting. "Hey Ig." He said, giving Iggy a tap on the back of the hand.

"Hey. You and Max are visiting too?"

"Yup. It's like a family reunion." Iggy laughed and shook his head.

"We have enough people to be an entire family tree."

"Max and Dylan can be the grandparents." Fang joked.

"Nudge can be the weird aunt who always wears be-dazzled jeans." Iggy added.

"But don't stand out here, come inside! Make yourself at home. Mom made cookies." Max said, leading the boys inside.

After dinner and a movie in the living room, Iggy and Fang turned in and started getting ready for bed. All of the guest rooms were luxurious, like a master bedroom, with a king sized bed as well as a full, attached bathroom, almost like a hotel, but much, much more homey. Fang and Iggy always shared this bedroom when they came to visit, Max and Dylan taking the other guest room. The entire house had huge, raw logs cris-crossing the ceilings, and the boy's room was no exception. The walls were painted a cheery light blue, the bed linens all white, making Fang and Iggy's mismatched pillowcases stand out. It was funny; after all those years, they had kept the same sheet and pillow case sets from when they first moved in with Ms. Martinez. Iggy's sported white barn owls on a dark blue background (something to do with Harry Potter, but Gazzy thought their wings matched) and Fang's were galaxies and stars and planets floating around on a now-faded black backdrop. Long story short: very mismatched from the fluffy white comforter.

Iggy sat on the bed in his flannel pajama pants, listening to the water running from Fang's shower. He could feel the steam flowing out from under the nearby door, and the entire bedroom was beginning to adopt Fang's distinctive scent; a minty, musky smell with just a little undertone of chocolate. Iggy thought the smell was divine, and stood up when the water stopped, walking over and knocking on the bathroom door, the steam wafting around his ankles from under the door.

"Are you decent?" Iggy asked, a playful grin on his lips.

"Does it matter?" Fang joked back, opening the door just a little. Iggy laughed lightly and crept inside, allowing the vapor to engulf him, sticking to his bare arms and torso. He stretched out an arm, feeling for Fang, who took his hand and guided him closer. Iggy's hair, still damp from his own shower not long before, stuck to Fang's shoulder as they embraced, Fang's hot, still-wet chest rising and falling against Iggy's cool, dewy skin. Fang ran his hand up and down Iggy's back, right up his spine, in between his wings, a very sensitive piece of human-avian anatomy. The soft skin there seemed to tingle when touched, especially by someone you cared deeply for.

"You don't have a towel on." Iggy observed, scratching Fang's lower back gently, just where a towel should have been sitting.

"Want me to get one?" he offered, holding the other close to him, kissing just above his hairline.

"not really." Iggy replied with a smile, running his hand through Fang's long, silky hair. Fang lead him slowly back to the bed in such a way that didn't feel awkward, and sat down next to Iggy, playing with the downy white feathers around his shoulders. The skinnier of the two leaned back, laying down, quickly followed by Fang, who held his hands down on the bed, just to the sides of his freckly face. Iggy smiled, feeling Fang's presence over him, and craned his neck up, meeting in the middle for a long kiss, pulling away only for a breath.

"Is the door closed?" Iggy whispered quietly.

"mm hm." Fang answered, nuzzling his head into the crook of Iggy's neck, just where it met his shoulder, causing the other to tilt his head back, exposing more skin to Fang, who took the opportunity to kiss at his jaw line and flutter down to his collarbone, which Fang knew was Iggy's favorite place to be kissed. Iggy had his arms around Fang's neck, sitting on his shoulders, playing with his feathers, scratching that sensitive spot in between his wings.

Fang continued to nuzzle and kiss at Iggy's neck, nibbling here and there, only very lightly, but enough to tickle him. Iggy bent his leg impulsively from laughter, making Fang smile. The smaller of the two ran a hand down the other's muscular chest and sides. Iggy wasn't unattractive by any means, but Fang was usually the one who attracted girls at the beach. Between his height, his slightly swarthy skin, and his long, thin hair falling in tendrils behind him, girls just couldn't seem to contain themselves. Fang never bought his own ice cream cones, drinks, anything. Neither did Iggy, for that matter, but that was for different reasons. Everyone seemed to think free stuff would make his blindness more tolerable. Iggy just found it funny.

"Fang don't leave any marks!" Iggy murmured, giggling.

"Sorry I think I already did…" Fang chuckled, pulling away to examine Iggy's neck and upper shoulder. "There's a little black-and-blue on your collarbone and another one right…here…" he said, playfully running his hand back and forth along Iggy's jaw. Iggy smiled, lifting his hand slowly, reaching up for Fang's face. Fang grabbed Iggy's hand and guided his palm right to his cheek. He let Iggy's thin, sensitive fingers slide over his face, down his nose, across his mouth. But Iggy lingered at his dark, deep set eyes for a moment longer than he normally would have.

"You're so beautiful." Iggy whispered, just loud enough for Fang to hear. The darker of the two said nothing, just gazed into Iggy's pale, glassy eyes, almost admiring them as Iggy admired his. Fang knew that Iggy wanted nothing more than to be able to see…To be able to see him…And, if he could, Fang would have given Iggy his sight without question. It was mostly because he cared so deeply for the other, but also because, if Iggy had his eyes, Fang would receive his clear, sky blue ones, so shiny and clear, even though they were useless: dead and glazed over from so many years of dormancy, never to be used again.

Fang lowered himself down onto the bed and slipped on his pajama pants he had draped over the headboard. He lay just to Iggy's side, holding his love close, lightly scratching his upper arm just as he turned off the lamp.

Iggy always fell asleep first, and as soon as he did, Fang would tell him how much he loved him then kiss both of his eyes. That started a long time ago, back when they were sixteen or seventeen and had just gotten together. Fang heard somewhere that some superstition believed that, if you kissed a blind person's eyes, the next morning, they would wake up with sight. Of course it was ridiculous, but Fang couldn't bring himself to stop, always holding onto the slim thread of hope that maybe someday Iggy would be able to see him for real, not just with his hands.

He leaned over Iggy's sleeping form, his eyes fluttering under his eyelids, his mouth slightly ajar. Fang quickly laid a small kiss on the inside corners of Iggy's ineffectual eyes, then whispered ever so quietly into his ear, "I love you most of all." And, to Fang's surprise, that night Iggy smiled and replied:

"I love you best too."


	5. A Pleasant Memory

November 2012

Fang wondered down the hallway, his shoulder length hair pulled back into a little ponytail. School was a drag, but quite a few people seemed to like him well enough, so he couldn't complain, and when things got rough, he knew he could beat the crap out of anyone who messed with him, so he didn't really care. They had only been attending school since the beginning of the same year, but already Fang had been asked out by numerous girls. Max said it was because of the way he dressed. He had taken a liking to skinny jeans and wearing a knitted beret Iggy had gotten him for Christmas the past year, and apparently Chuck Taylors are attractive, even if they're dirty and worn out.

To the surprise of everyone, Iggy had earned himself a bit of female attention as well. The entire flock thought there would be a repeat of the last time they had tried school, in which Iggy was relentlessly tormented and taken advantage of because of his blindness, but that didn't happen this time.

Fang and Iggy were both tall and thin and extremely good looking. There was no other way to say it, they were attractive, and they did draw attention. Though Fang stayed relatively quiet, people were attracted to him like a magnet. Iggy was a bit more talkative, and had taken to talking to the artistic bunch. He, too, took to dressing a bit differently, but Iggy preferred a more fun sort of style, not that it really mattered to him. He couldn't see what he looked like, but he did like getting compliments from the girls. Pea coats and Vans were more his style, and he had taken a liking to scarves. He also made sure to wear a tee shirt with a witty joke on the front. Iggy loved making people laugh.

Though they had grown more independent of each other in some ways, Fang and Iggy were still always together, partially because Iggy needed a bit of help with things like lockers and gym clothes, but also because they enjoyed each other's company…allot. Somehow their hands always found their way together, and soon, rumors began to fly.

It wasn't really a big deal to most of the other students. None of the guys really cared, and the girls were just upset that their hopes at dating one of the boys were dashed, but even before Fang professed his love for Iggy, a select few chose to afflict them, and by them I mean Iggy.

He was the easier target, there's no doubt about that. Fang could quite literally see them coming and prepare himself, either by going into a classroom or walking into a crowd, but Iggy was easy to surprise, and even easier to play pranks on. A certain football player, Liam, who had always been a bit of a jerk to the redhead, found it particularly entertaining to torment Iggy.

Iggy always carried a bag with him to carry his laptop as well as his numerous, and gigantic, brail textbooks. He had to learn to read brail when he entered school, even though he could feel the color differentiation in printed books and read them just fine. He did admit that was a little strange, and didn't fight the system. The little bumps and ridges were much easier to make out than flat font on a piece of paper, but his bag was a favorite tool of Liam, who, as well as many of the other kids in his biology class, found it hilarious to mess with.

The bell rang after last block and Iggy stood up from his desk and grabbed his messenger bag, pulling it up and over his shoulder. Little did he know that Liam had left him a surprise. Only when he eased his laptop down into the bag did he realize that three live frogs had been placed in the bottom from today's lab. Iggy yelped when he felt the slime, and dropped his textbook with a bang directly onto his own foot, easily breaking his toe through his canvas shoes. Everyone turned and watched him as he struggled with his bag, dumping the contents onto his desk and franticly shaking the very unhappy frogs out of the bottom as the teacher finally looked up from his coffee cup to help him. Too little, too late.

Liam laughed from the doorway where half the class had stuck around to watch Iggy struggle before catching the bus. Iggy franticly tried to find the third frog in his bag, which had already hopped out without him noticing, until the teacher reached his desk, doing nothing but collecting his laptop off of the desk just before Iggy took a step backwards directly into it, knocking the desk over and falling over it himself. A roar of laughter erupted from the rest of the class. The teacher offered Iggy a hand, which only made the other kids laugh harder.

"He can't grab his hand he can't see it!" one girl giggled to her friend. Iggy heard the telltale 'chink' of a camera phone.

Outside, Fang stood at his locker, grabbing his stuff and waiting for Iggy to come out of class, but he knew something was wrong as soon as he saw the crowd collecting outside of Mr. McKinney's bio room. He peered over the heads of the girls who had gathered, as well as most of the guys, and saw Iggy standing up as his teacher chased the frogs, all of Iggy's things hopelessly scattered and unorganized. Fang pushed through the tangle of people gathered in the door way and hopped over the overturned desk to help Iggy, grabbing his hand and helping him up. As soon as he knew Iggy was alright, he turned around to face everyone in the doorway.

"Yah you guys. This is hilarious!" he shouted sarcastically. "Lets all make fun of the blind kid! That's a great idea!" Most of the girls stopped laughing and left promptly, some stuck around as well as Liam and his friends.

"You're right, 'Fang'. It is hilarious." Liam tossed back. His girlfriend, who was glued to his arm, giggled, as well as her cronies and Liam's friends. Nobody thought Fang was his real name, and everyone gave him crap about not using his 'real' name. After the whole 'saving the world' thing was done, they saw no need to confuse themselves with aliases and fake names any more (except Gazzy, who was registered in the school system as James Griffiths, taken from Iggy's given name.). "It's not my fault the freak's blind."

"Yah it's not his fault." His girlfriend piped, flipping her hair off of her shoulder with a smile. What an airhead, Fang thought, his face growing hot. Iggy just stayed quiet and began picking up his things, doing his best to put everything back in their proper order.

"Well it certainly isn't his fault! What the hell is wrong with you?! He's got it hard enough already!" Fang shouted, getting right up in Liam's face.

"It is so his fault! He shouldn't have gone blind!" That had to be the stupidest thing Fang had ever heard, especially because of what had happened to Iggy all those years ago. Though it wouldn't have been his fault anyway, it certainly wasn't Iggy's fault that he had been dragged out of his dog cage to be operated on and have his eyes fried painfully without anesthesia or even proper medical care, but Fang couldn't tell them that. Instead, he pulled his elbow back and gave Liam a whack in the mouth.

"Oh my God what did you do?!" one of the girls squealed as Liam dropped to the floor and spit out one of his teeth. Mr. McKinney had left a while ago to go refill his coffee cup after catching the frogs, feeling the situation was under control, so there was nobody there to punish either one of them. Most of the bystanders had left as well, deciding to catch the bus instead of watching the fight. It was just him, Liam, and a few other stragglers who were too frightened to do anything.

"You little sonofabitch!" Liam shouted, holding his chin in one hand, his other forming a fist. Fang ducked the blow easily and slid a leg across the bigger kid's shins, making him fall again. Fang had been more or less docile up until now. Nobody ever gave him a reason to kick ass before, so he didn't. Bullies could usually be taken care of with a few insults and a threat, so nobody had any idea what Fang, and Iggy, for that matter, was capable of.

"OMG stop it!" another girl squealed as Liam roared and made a charge at Fang, who easily

Dodged. This kid was no eraser. Even they weren't as lame as this guy. As Liam made another swing at him, Fang grabbed his wrist and used Liam's own momentum to flip him onto his back and onto the tile floor. Fang straddled him and grabbed his shirt collar, pulling the kid's face just inches away from his own.

"You gonna bother Iggy again?" Fang hissed through clenched teeth. Liam shook his head, blood trickling from his nose and mouth. "Good." Fang said, releasing him with a smile. "Come on, Ig, lets go. This asshole won't be bothering you anymore." Iggy followed Fang's voice, grabbing his hand and leaving the school as Liam stood up and flipped him off before heading to his own locker, too proud to get his mouth bandaged up in the office.

"Thanks." Iggy said quietly as they walked down the stairs to the parking lot and down the driveway, walking back to Mrs. Martinez's house.

"That guy's a jerk."

"I know…"

"Next time, kick the crap out of him yourself. He's a moron. You've taken out way worse than him.

"I know…I just…I can't. I can't hit a kid when he's unarmed or anything."

"You're too nice." Fang laughed. Iggy shrugged. He had always been docile and preferred to avoid a fight when possible, even when they were on the run. he much preferred to let the explosives do the talking (or a blender, in dire situations), but that wasn't an option in school, and he felt guilty whacking someone he knew he could easily take out.

"I know…I should have just hit him. I just sort of tense up and don't know what to do…It's embarrassing."

"I know. Don't worry about it, I'll take care of you." Fang said as they walked. Max and the rest of the gang were probably already home, so they walked alone on the sidewalk, just the two of them. Fang snaked his fingers in between Iggy's, taking the other by surprise. Fang usually held his hand or his wrist loosely, in a guiding sort of fashion, but this was different. This was very different. Iggy smiled to himself, blushing as they walked down the tree-lined dead end road to the house. Fang saw his reaction and felt his heart flutter. This was it. This was the moment he had been anticipating all day. Fang stopped walking. Iggy did too. "Hey Ig?" Fang said as casually as he could. His stomach flipped. He didn't know how Iggy would react, and was actually quite frightened. He didn't want anything to change between them if Iggy took it the wrong way…

"Yah?" the other replied, turning to face Fang, loosening his hand from Fang's. Fang's heart skipped a beat. He was going to say it now. Right now. This second. His mind raced. This had been much easier in front of the bathroom mirror this morning. He tightened his grip on Iggy's hand again, and grabbed the other one as well, the contact making his heart flutter. "You okay?" Iggy asked.

"What? …I mean, yah I'm alright, I just…wanted to tell you something…sort of." He shuddered. This was definitely easier in front of the mirror.

"Kay. Shoot." Iggy said with a smile that made Fang melt. He couldn't say it. He couldn't say it! But he had to. He couldn't stop now, he had already started, so he did what he had been wanting to do for years now. He closed his eyes, tilted his head slightly to the right, and kissed Iggy's upper lip, pulling a way not a second after he had made contact.

Iggy's crystal eyes widened, startled, and blinked. He had nothing to say back, so he did what he thought was best. He leaned forward and kissed Fang back gently and tentatively until Fang leaned back into him, kissing him back, sliding his arm around Iggy's slender waist as Iggy rested his arms on Fang's shoulders. Iggy had never felt a sensation like this before. He had never been in love, and he wasn't exactly sure if he was supposed to feel how he did, but even so, he let Fang continue until they were both out of breath.

Fang grabbed Iggy's hand and guided it to his lips as he smiled.

"I've never kissed anyone before." Iggy admitted, his cheeks turning a rosy pink to match his hair.

"First time for everything." Fang said, brushing the hair off of Iggy's face and behind his ear.

"It was nice." He added with a smile.

"Must have been a bit of a surprise…" Fang said quietly.

"Not really." Iggy answered.

"Really?"

"I've sort of been…suspecting." He admitted. "I didn't think you'd pick me, though." He smiled.

"why not?" Fang chuckled, grabbing Iggy's hand again and continuing down the street, relieved that Iggy hadn't turned him away. He was overjoyed. So, so pleased that Iggy loved him too. It was like a dream, and he hoped he'd never have to wake up.

"I don't know. I'm almost like your brother. I'd think you'd be sick of me by now." He grinned.

"No. I'd never be sick of you…I love you so much…" he said quietly, sliding his hand around Iggy's waist as they walked. Iggy slipped his hand under Fang's arm and up to his shoulder, returning the affection.

"I love you too…" Iggy said, almost silently. Fang only just heard him, and looked at him, a bit surprised.

"Do you really? I mean, this was sort of random of me…"

"I know…I was going to do the same thing you just did…I was planning on saying so tomorrow…I've been practicing saying it to myself." He admitted with a meek smile.

"Really? I was too!" Fang said, laughing.

"It's perfect, then. I guess it was really meant to be." Iggy said, resting his head on Fang's shoulder.

Iggy woke up, snuggled into Fang, enveloped in his strong arms. Though that had been seven years ago, for some reason Iggy dreamed of it that night, savoring the flutter in his heart that remained after he woke, the thrill of his first and only love rushing through him. He grabbed Fang's hand and held it, closing his eyes again, for the world was still asleep, and shutting his eyes, unable to keep them open, even though open everything was equally as dark. To his surprise, he felt Fang tighten his hand around Iggy's and let out a sort of contented hum.

"Love you so much." He whispered, running his thumb over Iggy's knuckles.

"Love you too." Iggy replied, just how he did on that autumn day seven years ago, on the side of that back road, surrounded by nothing but swirling leaves and Fang's arms. Though they were only sixteen, both of them felt the same way they did then, laying together on that summer night, with their own house, their own life, their own little piece of the world. Neither of them ever dreamed things would be so perfect for them.

Fang shifted his position, snuggling closer to Iggy, his chest pressed against Iggy's back, Fang's foot looped around Iggy's leg under the covers. They both smiled for no reason but their togetherness, and knew in that moment that they would be together forever.


	6. A Bit of Cheering Up

Contrary to popular belief, Iggy was not always happy. Over the years, he had become used to the lack of sight. He no longer woke up in the morning and forgot he was blind. But even so, tough days came and went, as they do with everyone, only Iggy's were much harder to get through…At least they were without Fang.

It started that morning. He had walked down town on his own, as he often did, and went to the little farm market on the corner. There were always people there, and he knew the girl behind the counter enjoyed his company. It was just a safe place, where he could be…normal. He could just talk like a regular person, meet new people, converse with tourists about whatever was going on outside their little town. It was fun. But little did Iggy know that today would be a bit different.

As he approached, he ran into one of the wooden beams holding up the roof of the little stand. His head whipped back quite violently and he squeezed his eyes shut, grabbing his forehead and casting his face down, embarrassed. What were the odds?! There were only three poles on each side of the stand, and they were only about six inches wide. How did he run into one?! Jess, the girl behind the counter heard the thud from Iggy's head and rushed around the counter to help him. She put an arm behind his back and guided him to a chair behind the counter where she sat him down.

"Aw Iggy are you alright?" she asked, genuinely concerned. Iggy nodded.

"Yah…I always do crap like that."

"Do you want help getting home? I can call Fang—"

"No it's alright." He broke in. He just wanted the conversation to end. Iggy hated being babied like this, everyone looking at him, people whispering. He could distinctly hear tourists around the stand saying 'That poor boy' or 'Oh that's a sin!' or 'Things must be so difficult for him…' in hushed tones, and he couldn't stand it. He stood up and quickly smiled in Jess's direction. "I came for strawberries…I should probably get them and head home…"

"Oh alright." She carefully handed him a little crate of perfect, sparkly berries, the smell making Iggy smile. He handed her a dollar. "Are you sure you don't need help getting home? It's not a problem, I can walk you back…"

"No I've got it." he said, shaking the shaggy hair out of his face, holding the little crate carefully with his long fingers. "I'll see you later." He began walking back to the house slowly, a bit dizzy from hitting his head.

He was hardly out of town when a man grabbed his arm. Iggy heard the rustle of a map, and by his wife's accent, he knew they weren't from around town.

"Hey mind tellin' us were this is?" he pointed to the map. Iggy looked in his direction, shaking his head.

"No I'm sorry I—"

"Well ya live here, don't ya?" the wife broke in. She was a heavy woman, with tightly curled hair and sunglasses. She held a soda in her hand big enough to drown a small animal.

"Yes but—"

"So can't ya tell me where this town is?"

"I'm sorry I can't." Iggy said a bit more harshly, getting frustrated.

"You're the rudest person we've met here so far!" the wife exclaimed, taking a noisy slurp of her soda. Iggy clenched his teeth.

"Tell us where the hell we're going!" Iggy furrowed his eyebrows.

"If you keep down the path you'll get to a town. I don't know if it's the one you're looking for, but you can ask for directions there—"

"Why can't YOU tell me?! Too classy for us, are ya?" the man slapped the bottom of Iggy's wooden strawberry crate, spilling it's contents all down Iggy's front, staining his tee shirt a watery red, his strawberries scattered on the ground around his feet.

"I can't give you directions because I'm blind. I didn't think it was that difficult to tell." He admitted in a hushed tone flatly through clenched teeth, bending down and feeling for the crate which he had since dropped. He picked it up and sighed, running a hand through his hair and continuing. The man didn't even apologize. Iggy walked back home slowly, holding his empty strawberry carton all the way.

He slammed the door behind him when he walked inside, then threw the strawberry carton across the kitchen, against the refrigerator. He slunk over to the sofa and flopped down over the arm, laying with on his stomach, his legs hanging off the edge. He buried his face in a pillow and just yelled into it as tears stung behind his eyes. What a messed up world this was. Children could be terribly deformed in the name of 'science', your eyes could be burned out of your head in a matter of moments, and people had no qualms about bullying a blind guy on the street. He let his tears overflow and sniffled, wiping his tears on the worn out pillow. He yanked his blanket off of the back of the sofa, the blue, satin lined one he had used as a kid, and pulled it over himself, finding comfort in the now-flimsy cotton, rubbing at the smooth silky boarder. He turned his head, his face no longer in the pillow, allowing the sun to pool on his cheek, glistening off of his tears.

He wasn't laying there long before he heard Fang's footsteps on the squeaky antique floor. Iggy didn't look up, but simply laid there sniffling, snuggled up in his blanket. Fang sat down on the edge of the couch in front of Iggy, grabbing his hand and rubbing his knuckles with his thumb.

"Hey Baby-Doll." Fang cooed lightly with a smile. To that, Iggy usually replied with 'Hey Sweet Potato.' But he didn't today. Iggy said nothing; he didn't even acknowledge Fang's presence. Fang's smile faded and he ran his fingers through Iggy's strawberry hair, then began to rub up and down his back soothingly. "You okay?" he asked, though he already knew the answer. Iggy said nothing, but began to cry again, tears slipping down his face, making his cheeks raw and red. "What happened?"

"Everyone just…I can't do anything r-right…" he stammered, sniffling. Fang smudged away Iggy's tears away gingerly with his thumb.

"You're perfect, Iggy." He said with a smile, gently scratching Iggy's head, smoothing back his orange-blonde hair.

"No I'm not…"

"You are to me…" Fang replied. "What made you so upset?" Iggy shook his head.

"I ran into a pole…" he began. Fang listened intently, playing with Iggy's hair, his other hand threaded in between Iggy's fingers, holding his hand.

"I'm sorry that happened to you…" Fang said quietly, genuinely.

"And a man spilled my strawberries…He asked me for directions, but I couldn't give them to him, and….."Iggy shrugged; Fang knew the rest, and it made him sick to his stomach, livid. How could anyone do that? Even if Iggy wasn't blind, it would still have been cruel. It wasn't hard to tell Iggy couldn't see; his eyes were glassy and glazed over, and he never looked you in the face, though it was easy to see when he tried to. He often held his eyes at a sort of half-open, half-closed position, and he always, always held one of his hands slightly in front of himself to see to it that he didn't run into anyone or anything.

Fang pulled Iggy into his lap and held his head against his shoulder, rocking back and forth.

"I love you so much." Was all Fang said. "I don't want anything about you to change. Not ever." Iggy nestled his head into the crook of Fang's neck and smiled.

"I love you too." he replied. Fang turned his head and kissed Iggy's forehead, prompting the redhead to lift his head and meet Fang's lips. Fang slipped down onto his side, Iggy laying next to him. The couch cushions were wide as well as long, so there was plenty of room for both of them to lay side by side together. That was Fang's favorite part about that sofa.

"I wish that nothing would ever make you upset again. Nobody understands how perfect you are. You're too wonderful to be upset like this." he whispered to Iggy, playing with the redhead's ear with his mouth, kissing at his temple and jaw. Iggy smiled, holding Fang's hand close to his chest, so Fang could feel his heartbeat.

"I'm not upset. Not anymore." Iggy answered his eyes upturned in Fang's direction. "Not now that you're here with me." Fang smiled and rolled over, using his elbows to prop himself up slightly above Iggy. He slipped the skinnier boy's shirt off slowly, his willpower melting; Fang had to look at him. He had to see more of him. Iggy threaded his arms around Fang's neck, slipping a hand under his shirt and scratching his favorite place, just in between his glossy black wings. Fang hummed in amusement, running his hand up and down Iggy's side, tracing Iggy's slender shape: his ribs, his muscle, his hip bones. Iggy was beautiful. He arched his back in response to Fang's caress, lifting his head to kiss Fang's angular jaw, fluttering kisses until he reached Fang's upper lip, his favorite place to be kissed.

"hmm…" Fang cooed into Iggy's kiss. "I love it when you do that." He said when they reluctantly pulled apart.

"I know." Iggy replied with a smile. Fang nuzzled his nose against Iggy's, giving him an Eskimo kiss. Iggy laughed, running his hand down Fang's silky black ponytail melodically, over and over, the silky smooth tendrils sliding effortlessly in between Iggy's skinny fingers.

Iggy sat up and climbed into Fang's lap, resting his head against Fang's pectoral as Fang pulled Iggy's blue blanket up over the paler boy's shoulders and hunkered down into the corner between the armrest and the back of the sofa, Iggy snuggled into his lap. They fit together perfectly; Iggy's boney frame fit like a jigsaw puzzle into Fang's muscular form. Iggy had always been a considerably smaller than Fang, and though they were nearly the same height, Iggy was still much less bulky than the other, stockier boy.

Fang's strong arms cradled Iggy, making him forget everything that had happened that day. He hardly remembered running into that pole. The nasty man and his wife had left his mind. All that he was thinking about now was Fang, his essence filling Iggy's entire consciousness; his smell, the texture of his skin, the warm feeling that surged through him as Fang kissed just above his hairline. Maybe today wasn't so bad after all.

*kay that's all I got. Haha! I haven't posted a chapter for this in a while, so I thought I should. I also figured I should probably send a link to that song I keep referring to, the one Fang and Iggy get their little nicknames from, so here's that link too: watch?v=MT3AAztOpxo

That's all! Thanks for reading!*


	7. A Lovely Christmas Eve

Finally. Iggy was asleep! He was normally out like a light as soon as he laid down, but it seemed like it took forever tonight. He was in a snuggly sort of mood and his back was pressed against Fang's in bed, their wings acting as a soft divider between their backs. As much as Fang wished he could stay there forever, he knew he had to get up. This Christmas was going to be wonderful.

He slid out slowly and carefully from under the covers, lifting out his legs and carefully sliding away, frightened of waking Iggy. He was a heavy sleeper, but he could hear everything, and Fang didn't want to ruin anything. He was going to surprise Iggy in the morning.

When he finally broke free of the bed, he tiptoed out of their little bedroom and into the living room, where he had been hiding the gifts. That's what was good about Iggy; things could be hidden literally right out in the open, as long as they weren't sitting in a place Iggy often came in contact with. Example: the mantle. All of Iggy's gifts were sitting up above the fireplace, in plain sight to everyone but him. It was the perfect hiding place. Fang smiled, watching as the twinkling Christmas tree lights reflected off of the shiny ribbon around Iggy's presents, all of them wrapped in light blue paper with snowmen. When they were little, Jeb would code all of their presents by wrapping paper so nobody would fight over whose gift was whose. Max had the Santa Clause paper, Nudge was pink snowflakes, Gasman's was green with holly, Iggy's had the snowmen, and his own were red and white striped like a candy cane.

He silently slid across the wood floor in his socks, doing his best not to trip over his slightly-too-long flannel pajama pants, and took Iggy's gifts off of the mantle one by one, carefully placing them under the Christmas tree.

Pleased with his work, Fang made his way back to the bedroom, looking forward to seeing Iggy's surprise tomorrow morning when he received his gifts. Fang had done a good job. He and Iggy worked in one of the shops down town all the time to make money, and Fang had been saving half of his weekly share for Christmas so he could get gifts for Iggy. Fang was the classic doting boyfriend. He showered Iggy in gifts: Flowers, candy, breakfast in bed; but he loved doing it. It made him so happy to see Iggy smiling with his crystal blue eyes and his freckly cheeks turn pink. Fang sighed contentedly at the idea as he walked back to the bedroom, stopping for a moment in the doorway, watching Iggy's chest rise and fall as he slept, his mouth slightly ajar, his nose squished against the mattress. Iggy wasn't a pretty sleeper, to the rest of the world, that is. To Fang, he was a perfect angel, divine and pristine, no matter how much he drooled on the sheets.

Fang shimmied back into bed beside him and covered himself up, smiling and very pleased. He couldn't wait to see the look of Iggy's face in the morning.

Finally! Fang was asleep! Iggy had tried to stay awake, hoping Fang would have fallen asleep first, for once, but that didn't happen, and it was nearly one in the morning when he woke up again. He sat up in bed slowly and just listened for a second, seeing if Fang was really asleep. When he was sure he was out, Iggy slipped out of bed, keeping his hands fisted inside his much-too-big sweatshirt and taking the seven steps from his side of the bed to the door, then the eleven more to the arm of the sofa. He ran his hand along the top of the backrest and stopped at the other end, enjoying the Christmas tree smell. He smiled as he made his way carefully to the spare bedroom.

Fang never went into the guest bedroom. He especially never went into the guest bedroom closet. That's why it was the perfect place to keep Fang's Christmas gifts.

Fang doted on Iggy all year. Hardly a day passed when Iggy didn't receive flowers or, more recently, hats and scarves and snuggly things. Iggy wanted to make it up to him, and he was going to do it Christmas morning.

Iggy carefully removed the gifts from the closet and walked carefully and slowly to the Christmas tree, placing each of the gifts under the lowest boughs. He smiled. Fang would be so happy. Iggy stood up and smiled, taking a moment to catch his bearings before heading back to the guest bedroom to retrieve the next armful of gifts, but he only made it to the kitchen counter island before he heard Fang's footsteps leaving the bedroom. Iggy ducked behind the counter, praying Fang wouldn't see him. Iggy would hate to ruin the surprise.

Fang yawned and looked at his wristwatch, his other hand pushing his long dark hair out of his face. Most of it had come out of the loose knot Fang kept it in at night and hung in his dark eyes. He stretched his wings out just a bit, scratching the space under the feathers, and walked to the sofa where he picked up the blanket from the back. He was cold. Their little house was lovely, but it was chilly and a bit drafty, as all old houses are, and Fang needed another blanket. It wasn't long after he walked into the bedroom that he realized Iggy wasn't there.

"Ig?" he said softly. Iggy didn't answer. "Iggy?" Fang said, louder this time. "He must be in the bathroom…" Fang said to himself, yawning as he climbed back in bed. Iggy sighed, realizing he had been holding his breath. He quickly retrieved the rest of the gifts and returned to the tree, placing the final gifts.

Just as Fang was getting back in bed, he remembered something: the little box on the end of the mantle, behind the picture of him kissing Iggy's nose. He tiptoed as fast as he could, hoping to be back in bed before Iggy returned from the 'bathroom' and grabbed the small box.

Just as he approached the tree, Iggy stood up, startling Fang.

"Iggy?" he asked, confused.

"Oh no Fang!" Iggy replied. "Aw I ruined the surprise…" Fang was puzzled for a moment, but looked down at the gifts. His heart melted when he saw all of the boxes, half of them the ones he had placed there, but also gifts wrapped in Fang's red and white paper.

"W-what? But I—oh…" Fang said, realizing what had happened. Iggy had the same idea he had, only Iggy couldn't see the gifts Fang had placed there earlier. "Oh Ig." He said with a smile and a little laugh, taking Iggy in his arms, holding the smaller boy's head to his shoulder.

"Fang it's not funny…I was going to surprise you…You always have something nice to give me, and I wanted to give something back to you, but—"

"Don't worry, Iggy. I did the same thing."

"What?"

"As soon as you fell asleep, I put all of your gifts under the tree."

"Fang you didn't have to do that…"

"I wanted to do it. It makes me so happy to see you smile." Iggy wrapped his arms around Fang and hugged him for a long moment.

"I love you so much…" Iggy said, his voice muffled by Fang's shirt.

"I love you too, Baby Doll." Fang said. "You know, it's after two in the morning…It's technically Christmas." He added. "Want to open presents?"

"Now?" Iggy asked with a smile, grabbing Fang's hands.

"Sure! Why not?" Fang replied, guiding Iggy down to the floor, sitting him down before flipping on the light. "You go first." Fang handed Iggy the small box he had stashed in the pocket of his pajama pants. He handed the palm-sized gift to Iggy carefully and gently. Iggy took it gingerly and took off the wrapping paper, the same blue snowmen paper that was around his gifts since the first Christmas he ever had.

He smiled once it was open and pulled off the little cardboard lid.

"Fang what is it?" Iggy asked with a smile of anticipation. Fang said nothing, but reached into the little box and took Iggy's hand. He slipped the plain, gold band on his finger. Iggy smiled. "Aw Fang…" Iggy cooed with a smile. He ran his sensitive fingers around the smooth band. It fit so perfectly, as if it were made for him, and he loved it. It was a part of him. It was a part of Fang.

"I'm glad you like it."

"It's so pretty, Fang. I have presents for you too, though! You go next." Iggy said with a smile, feeling around for a certain box. When he found it, he handed it to Fang, who took it carefully and tore the paper. Iggy never ripped wrapping paper. He always unwrapped it carefully because he didn't like the feeling of paper ripping in his hands. Fang just tore it off. He revealed a smallish box, similar to the one he had given Iggy. He took the little lid off of the box, and revealed a ring of his own. It wasn't plain, like the one he had given Iggy. It was silver, and there was a piece of onyx directly under a row of perfect little diamonds. "Iggy did you get this?" he asked, surprised beyond belief. He wasn't expecting any gifts at all, but Iggy had gotten something beautiful.

"Yah…Sorry it's the same thing you got me." He shrugged.

"No, no this is great…This is beautiful…" he said, turning it around and around in his hand. "Here, put it on." he said, handing the ring to Iggy and guided the other's hand to his ring finger. Though he struggled a bit at first, Iggy slipped the ring onto Fang's finger. "Love you, Baby Doll."

"Love you too, Sweet Potato." Iggy replied, falling into Fang's lap. "This is my favorite Christmas ever."


	8. A Good Cold Remedy

Fang wasn't amused. Though it was only January, he was totally done with winter. The snow in Maine was terrible and constant that they could hardly get out of the house. Snow was up to the windows, their drafty antique house was freezing, and runny noses seemed perpetual. This week had been particularly miserable, though.

About three days ago, Fang came down with a terrible cold. He had been flat out either in bed or on the sofa, moving only to go from one to the other, his head spinning every time he tried to stand up. He had a fever of as high as 101 degrees, and his nose was less than useless. Though he was in a rather pathetic and sorry state, he felt bad for Iggy more so than for himself. Iggy was his life, his reason for living, his perfect angel. He begged to be snuggled and loved and taken care of. Iggy was nowhere near dependent on Fang, but Fang liked to pretend he was. He loved spoiling him and treating him. Iggy was so easy to please, always grinning and laughing, and Fang loved it when Iggy smiled. The problem was that Fang couldn't sit up, and it's very difficult to be romantic when you can only lay still on the sofa.

It started about three days ago with a little sore throat. Then came the runny nose. The second day was when the cough started, but this morning, the third morning, was terrible. His nose was runny and stuffed to the point he felt like his sinuses would burst. He had a high fever, a pain right under his wings (common for a bird kid with a cold) and a terrible cough that would only stop if he laid perfectly still and quietly. He felt like a puddle, damp and drippy and stagnant, but the worst part was that he had left Iggy with the task of taking care of him, and Fang didn't want that. He was supposed to protect Iggy. Iggy was his cutie pie, his baby doll, not his caretaker. He was supposed to bring Iggy breakfast in bed and surprise gifts from town and give him lots of kisses and love. He didn't want Iggy to have to take care of him, but he didn't have much of a choice.

Fang's dark eyes fluttered open suddenly. He hadn't realized he had fallen asleep. Iggy was sitting on the edge of the sofa next to him, running a hand through his silky black hair soothingly, a large mug of tea sitting on the coffee table.

"Iggy…" Fang croaked, his voice all but lost.

"Hey Sleeping Beauty." He replied with a smile. "Feeling okay?" Fang gagged out a cough in reply. "My poor baby. Here have a sip." He said, feeling around on the coffee table until he felt the warmth of the mug on his fingertips. He handed it to Fang, who propped his head up ever so slightly with his elbow and drank a bit. Everything Iggy made tasted good, even Max's old dinner disasters could be turned into something enjoyable in no time at all, and this tea was no exception. It was like melted honey and lemonade, laced with a sweet sprinkling of sugar. It instantly warmed up his shivering, miserable body and calmed his cough.

"Thanks." He said, pulling the blanket up around his neck, shifting in an attempt to get warmer. Iggy heard the slip of fabric on fabric and knew Fang was shifting around with the blanket, so he stood up slowly and walked carefully to the armchair where the extra blankets lived when not in use, and felt around for the thick afghan Grandma Martinez had made them as a housewarming gift. It was the coziest blanket in the entire world, and big enough to cover the bed. It would easily toasty-up Fang.

"Better?" Fang nodded.

"mm hm. Thanks, Iggy."

"not a problem. You do so much for me, it's the least I can do."

"You shouldn't have to take care of me. I'm supposed to take care of you." Fang put his shaky hand on Iggy's and held it. Iggy smiled, closing his eyes. He often closed his eyes at unexpected times, but he didn't seem to notice. It made Fang laugh, and when he mentioned it, Iggy would simply reply: 'I don't have anything else to do with them.' and gave a little shrug along with a happy sort of giggle. Fang smiled thinking about it.

"Oh be quiet you talk about me like I'm a wimpy girl or something. I can take care of you!"

"I know you CAN, but I don't want you to!" Fang replied with a smile.

"Don't worry about it. Just worry about feeling better. I miss snuggling up with you at night because SOMEONE won't let me sleep with him."

"I don't want you to get sick."

"No you just want the bed to yourself so you can spend some quality time with your pillow and your snoring." Iggy laughed. Fang tried to join him, but wound up gagging and coughing instead.

"I love you."

"I love you too." Iggy replied, carefully sliding the elastic out of Fang's hair then combing the loose, dark strands off of his sweaty forehead. He then retied Fang's long ponytail. "Are you hungry? It's around lunchtime."

"No…" Fang mumbled, hanging his hand down to the floor, feeling around for the remote. "you eat, though."

"I made those little star noodles. You know, the ones you eat when you're sick?"

"Aw you didn't have to do that…Make something for yourself, you don't have to eat that."

"It's alright. I like them. Remember when we were little; when we first moved in with Jeb and I got sick?"

"mm hm." Fang smiled, remembering how sweet Iggy looked all snuggled up in his bed. "I had to feed you."

"Because I couldn't find the bowl. Man, I was messed up those first few months!" he said, making light of himself.

"No you weren't. You were perfect."

"Fang I was helpless. I walked into everything, remember?"

"I remember when Nudge tried to beat you up for walking into her Barbie Dream House."

"Oh shut up." Iggy said, giving Fang a little nudge on the shoulder before running his hand across Fang's cheek. He was hot to the touch, but shivered, even though he was obviously perspiring. He was like an ice cube on pavement in the summer: hot and cold at the same time. "Barbie shoes hurt when you step on them."

"Not as much as Gazzy's Lego's." he chuckled hoarsely. Iggy smiled.

"You're right." He said, retrieving a bowl of little pasta stars in broth and sitting on the loveseat, just to the right of the sofa where Fang was laying. Fang flipped channels, looking for something mildly entertaining while Iggy listened to the little snippets of sentences and voices as the channels changed. Iggy found it funny when voices popped in and out of the television, especially when it was timed perfectly and two channels created funny phrases like 'my wife—terrible—cooking' or 'Baby—ate—the car'. Fang eventually settled for something on the Discovery Channel. The sounds of Planet Earth made Iggy smile, as did Sigourney Weaver's soothing voice. Iggy loved listening to the sounds of the water and animals. He liked imagining what they looked like, for he didn't have the chance to see most of them before he lost his sight.

"Iggy?" Fang said after a little while of quiet.

"Yah?"

"I don't know what I'd do without you." Iggy smiled and was silent for a moment before saying

"I do."

"What?" Fang asked, not expecting a response."

"Die on this sofa." They both laughed. It was the best medicine, after all.


	9. A Long Expected Surprise Part 1

Iggy yawned as he flipped the eggs, finding the sizzle satisfying, as Fang finished tidying up the house.

"What time are they coming?" Iggy asked as he stood at the stove.

"Max said they'd be here around ten."

"What time is it now?"

"Ten fifteen." Fang laughed. Fang and Iggy hadn't had the Flock to their house yet, so Ms. Martinez decided to round everybody up for a visit. Their house was small, and they weren't sure if it would be able to handle seven more people and a dog. Fang was a little bit nervous, but Iggy was in high spirits as of now, which kept Fang's mood up.

"Well, breakfast for nine is ready…I hope they come soon, or I've just wasted three-dozen eggs, three peppers, two onions, and five entire packages of bacon…" He said with a smile, handing Fang his plate and sitting at the table. "I don't know about you, but I'm eating now."

"Good plan." Fang agreed, sitting across from him. "It's going to be a free-for-all when they get here. Better to have a peaceful breakfast." He smiled, running his bare foot up Iggy's ankle under the table.

"Stop!" Iggy giggled, "You're tickling me."

"Good." Fang answered with a chuckle. Iggy was suddenly silent and turned his head towards the door.

"They're here" he said. "I hear the car coming up the dive way." Sure enough, just a moment later, Ms. Martinez's SUV and Max and Dylan's Prius (which Fang constantly made fun of) pulled up the long, dirt drive way where everyone piled out of the car and into their house.

"Hey you guys!" Ms. Martinez said with a smile, pushing the door open with her back, her arms full of her suitcase and Angel's pink duffle bag.

"Hey! I mead breakfast!" Iggy said with a smile, finishing the last bit of his eggs and tossing his dish into the sink, making room for everyone else at the table.

"Nice to see you Ms. M." Fang added, taking the bags out of her hands and putting them on the sofa to be sorted through later.

"Iggyyy!" Ella shrieked, barging through the door and running to Iggy as he stood in the kitchen. She hugged him hard, one arm around his neck. Iggy was momentarily terrified, but hugged her back when he caught his bearings.

"Hey Ella." He said with a smile.

"Oh I missed you!" she said with a smile. It was no secret that Ella still had a major case of the hots for Iggy, and Iggy knew it. He let her go and gave her an apologetic smile. It made him uncomfortable when she was all snuggly with him, and though he did care about her, he didn't want her hanging all over him, especially when Fang was around. Iggy wasn't interested in her, and he didn't want to lead her on. Fang saw him standing parallel to her awkwardly, not sure what to do, so he came to the rescue, taking Iggy's middle and pulling him back into his chest. He then gave him a quick nuzzle on the neck, just to get the message across. Ella smiled meekly.

"Let me take your stuff, Ella." Fang said, retrieving her purple suitcase and putting it with Angels and the rest on the sofa.

"Fang!" Nudge hollered as she came through the door, latching on to Fang for a moment before turning her attention to Iggy. "Oh Iggy did you cook all this just for us! You're so great! Uh I've been wanting something to eat since the last RESTSTOP." She said loudly, making sure Ms. Martinez heard her.

"Yes Nudge, I know." Ms. Martinez humored her with a smile.

"But I'm glad I waited now!" she grabbed a plate and filled it from the frying pan, then sat on the table, her dark hair in a high ponytail.

"Iggy!" Gazzy said, hugging Iggy's middle.

"What's up, Gasman?" Iggy replied. Even though he was with Fang, Gazzy was still Iggy's best friend. Nobody would ever have the same relationship he and Gazzy shared. "Blow up anything good lately?"

"I threw a candy wrapper in the fireplace and it made the fire blue. I also cooked a whole hotdog with a magnifying glass."

"Skills!" Iggy said, offering the little boy a high five.

"Hey Fang! Where should I put my crap?" Gazzy said, turning around to face Fang.

"Couch." Fang replied simply with a smile.

"We figured out a cure for him." Nudge whispered to Fang while Gazzy was in the other room putting down his luggage.

"Serious? What?" he asked. Iggy listened in.

"Pepto Bismol. He hasn't stunk out the house in at least a week."

"Awesome." Iggy smiled. Fang sighed. That was a big stress off his shoulder, but now he had three bottles of Febreeze and nothing to do with it. Angel lifted her arms at Fang's feet and he picked her up. She was still only twelve, and still very sweet. She held Celeste tight in her arms.

"Hey kiddo." Fang smiled, giving her a hug.

"Hi Fang." She said, making Celeste give Fang a kiss. He played along.

Finally in came Max and Dylan.

"Whoa this place is sweet!" Dylan said as he walked in. He had never been to Iggy and Fang's house before. Iggy assumed he was talking about the vista out the back window. Fang had described it to him many times, and according to him, their house backed up to a sleep slope covered in tall trees. Through the trees could be seen the sparkling water of Lincoln Lake, and a thin set of winding stairs lead down to the waterside where Fang and Iggy often sat with their feet in the water. It was a perfect spot, and they loved it there.

"little small for all you guys, but it'll do." Iggy said, slightly sarcastically. He loved their house so much. He just hoped it wouldn't crumble under the chaos.

"Where do I get to sleep?" Nudge asked excitedly.

"Uh…We were planning on you and Angel sleeping up in the loft, if that's okay." Fang said with a smile. "There's a ladder up there. It's pretty cool. There are a few boxes towards the back, but we put two air mattresses up there, so it should be pretty good."

"Awesome! That's so cool this house is the best!" She bounded up the ladder and swung her legs over the edge. Angel quickly followed and did the same, giggling.

"Do I go up there too?" Gazzy asked.

"Nah. You get the bed in the basement. Best view in the house." Iggy said with a smile. Since the house was on a hill, the basement opened up right into the back yard with an amazing view of the lake through the sliding glass doors.

"Okay." Gazzy said with a smile. "I'll bring all my crap down there." He grabbed his suitcases and headed down the spiral staircase.

"Ms. M, you get the guest room back there…" Fang pointed down the short hallway. "And Max and Dylan, you get our room."

"But where will you and Ig sleep?" Max asked. "We don't want to put you guys out…"

"Nah, don't worry about it." Iggy said with a smile. "We're going to sleep on the floor in here." Once we move the coffee table and put down some blankets, it'll be perfect."

"Are you sure?" Dylan asked. "I feel bad." Max leaned against his side and he rubbed her shoulder.

"Yah. No problem. We're actually looking forward to it. It'll be like camping." Fang smiled, taking Iggy's hand and pressing it to his lips. Iggy smiled back and leaned into him.

"Don't try any funny business!" Nudge chuckled from the loft directly overhead. "I can see you from up here! Not that I would really mind watching you two make out."

"Nudge." Ms. Martinez said with a threatening undertone. Angel laughed, looking at Fang. Fang turned red. His thoughts weren't even safe in his own house.

"Careful, Nudge, or those air mattresses might end up in the lake." Iggy said.

OOO

They spent the day catching up and swimming. The secluded lake was the perfect place to do divebombs into the water from high in the sky. The kids climbed trees and took a fly, and by the time dinner rolled around, everyone was beat.

"What's dinner, huh Iggy?" Gazzy asked.

"I think maybe a huge bowl of vegetables with some sort of animal sliced on top…"

"Chicken over salad?" Max said.

"Yah that." Iggy replied. Angel and Nudge laughed. Iggy made everything sound disgusting, but it always tasted good. "I made mac and cheese too." He said, putting everything on the table and handing Fang the dishes to set.

Everything was gone in a matter of ten minutes, and even Total got his share. After that, everybody piled into the living room and snuggled together on the sofa and loveseat and even on the floor to watch a movie before bed. Iggy made three different kinds of popcorn.

"Indiana Jones? Seriously?" Nudge asked.

"Iggy's favorite." Fang said, putting his arm around Iggy as they sat on the floor in front of the couch.

"It's the only thing we have on DVD" Iggy added, snuggling against Fang. "Besides the Lord of the Rings, but I don't think you guys want to spend nine hours watching all of those."

"No thank you!" Nudge said. "Indiana Jones is fine!"

"I like the pretty lady in the Lord of the Rings." Angel said quietly. "The lady with the dark hair. She wears pretty outfits."

"I wouldn't know," began Iggy, "But she's got a very attractive voice." Fang gave him an elbow in the ribs and Iggy laughed. "Not as attractive as yours!" he added. Fang pulled Iggy into his lap.

Max and Dylan shared the chair-and-a-half next to the sofa. Their wedding was only a few weeks away now, and they were closer than ever. Dylan couldn't keep his eyes off of her, but that was nothing new. Max was always on his arm. Fang was glad for that. He had never really been all that interested in Max, even when they were young and on the run. She was a distraction; something to keep his mind off of everything going on: being a teenager, saving the world, his feelings for Iggy. He was trying to hide behind Max's affection, trying to convince himself that he didn't love Iggy.

Iggy was asleep before the movie was over, and as soon as Fang was sure he was out, he muted the TV.

"Guys I have to tell you something." He whispered. Everyone leaned in. "Well…sort of…" he reached back under the couch and retrieved a palm-sized box. It was plain and smooth, made of wood, but glossy and very pretty, even though it was so small. Angel smiled, but Fang's look told her to keep quiet.

"What is it?" Gazzy asked, leaning forward on the couch. Fang flipped the lid open with his thumb, revealing a lovely silver ring with three small diamonds placed around the band. The silver was bordered on one side by a stripe of a beautiful dark blue stone, and the entire ring shined in the dim light of the evening.

"Oh my gosh Fang!" Max said. "You're finally going to ask him?" she said. Fang shrugged.

"He's only been waiting seven years." He said with a little laugh. He glanced at Dylan, who was smiling to cover his true feelings. Fang had known from the beginning that Dylan was uncomfortable with their relationship.

"Oh Fang that's so exciting! When are you going to give it to him?" Ms. Martinez asked with a smile.

"Tomorrow at the beach…on top of that rock, you know…"

"Your rock." Max finished the thought. "That's so sweet! He's going to say yes I know it!"

"I hope so…" Fang said, a bit nervous. "But I wanted you guys to know so you could be there…"

"Is that why you wanted us to come?" Angel asked.

"Yah…I wanted it to be a surprise, though." He smiled back at her.

"Can I plan the wedding?!" Nudge asked, excited. Fang laughed quietly.

"I guess somebody's going to have to do it."

"OMG! Angel, you're the flower girl. Gazzy can be the ring bearer…Me and Max can be bridesmaids…wait, who's wearing the dress?"

"uh…" Fang murmured. "I think we're getting ahead of ourselves here…he hasn't said yes yet…"

"Oh Fang you know he's going to!" Max said. "He loves you more than anything in the world."

"I know, but…I could see him getting nervous and saying no." Fang thought. "I don't want to get ahead of myself…"

"Fang don't worry." Ms. Martinez said soothingly. "I'm sure everything will go just as planned. But come on, kids. Bedtime!" she stood up. "Come on, Gazzy, I'll tuck you in downstairs."

"Kay. Night you guys." He said, sliding down the spiral staircase.

"Night night!" Angel cooed, climbing the ladder with Nudge shortly behind.

"Night Max. See ya Dylan." Fang said, sliding the box back under the couch so Iggy wouldn't find it before tomorrow. He repositioned himself, waking Iggy.

"Wow did I seriously fall asleep?" he asked with a laugh. "Your poor arm must have pins and needles."

"Nah." Fang said, though his arm was numb as all getup. "come on, I'll move the coffee table. Go get a few comforters and blankets."

Iggy retrieved the blankets and Fang smoothed them out over the floor, the couch acting as a headboard, the loveseat to their right, and the chair on the left, creating a cozy sort of makeshift bed. Fang tossed their pillows against the bottom of the sofa, then guided Iggy's head down, kissing his eyes before covering him up with a thin summertime blanket. Fang then took his place beside him and covered himself, putting an arm around Iggy.

"Love you, Baby Doll." Fang whispered.

"Love you too, Sweet Potato." Iggy answered. Nudge and Angel both giggled from up in the loft.

To be continued…


	10. A Long Expected Surprise Part 2

Fang and Iggy woke up early the next morning, but certainly not on their own accord. Iggy normally woke up at around seven, and Fang more around six, but today they were up bright and early at ten after five by Nudge yelling about something or other in the kitchen and Dylan, being the hero that he is, running to her aid. Too bad nothing happened. She just dropped her bowl of cereal on the ground, but that didn't stop Dylan from sprinting across the room, stepping on Iggy's back, and scaring the crap out of Fang in the process.

"Awww jeez Dylan!" Iggy groaned, his face still smashed against the floor. Iggy wasn't a pretty sleeper. He always had his mouth open and his nose flattened against the pillow or the bed. His hair was just long enough to fall in messy flops over his face. He also tended to make very strange noises in his sleep.

"Sorry. I thought something was wrong."

"Have you met Nudge?!" Iggy retorted. Fang rubbed his back to quiet him down.

"I just dropped my bowl it's fine."

"I'll clean it up!" Angel said, stepping daintily down the ladder from the loft.

"Nah it's okay I'll do it." Fang said, peeling himself off of the floor and standing up. "Go get ready for the beach. We're going as soon as everyone's ready." He added. Angel skipped off into the guest room where Ms. Martinez had put Angel's bag. Max came out from her bedroom moments later, yawning.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Little late reaction…" Iggy said more to himself, sitting up and combing a hand through his hair.

"It is now." Dylan said, walking over to her and giving her an awkwardly long kiss. Gazzy walked in in the middle of their make out.

"Ew what the heck." He said, sitting at the table. "What's breakfast?"

"Have a bowl of cereal." Iggy said. "I don't feel like making anything."

"What's wrong?" Gazzy asked.

"I was just stepped on and woken up by a blood curdling scream." He explained.

"Sorry!" Nudge apologized.

It wasn't long before everyone was awake and getting ready for the beach. Fang hoped that Iggy would cheer up after breakfast, but he was still a little out of his element. Having everyone at their house was obviously making him nervous. He kept running into things and sighing. Fang sat him down on the sofa and rubbed him down with sunscreen while everyone else scrambled around, packing lunch and getting bathing suits on.

"You okay?" Fang asked, running a hand up and down Iggy's back.

"Yah just…I didn't think it'd be this chaotic with everyone here…" He admitted.

"I'm sorry. Don't worry. We'll have fun today, I promise." He said with a smile, taking Iggy's fingers and placing them on his mouth. Iggy smiled back at him.

"Okay everyone! Max and Dylan take the beach chairs in your car. Nudge you go with them too. Fang, Iggy, we're putting all of the coolers and things in the truck, and the rest of you kids come with me. Sound good?" Ms. Martinez said. She was good at planning and putting everything together.

"Can I go with Fang and Iggy?" Ella asked. Iggy leaned against Fang, a bit nervously, but he didn't protest.

"Um…sure." Fang replied with a smile. Ella grinned, her hair bouncing in it's ponytail.

They all paraded out of the door, filling the cars with the beach stuff. The kids were all really excited. Dylan and Max were happy, and Ella was overjoyed sitting in the back seat of Fang and Iggy's truck, but Fang noticed she kept blushing whenever she looked at Iggy.

"How come you wanted to drive with us, Ella?" Fang asked as they pulled out of the driveway.

"Oh…I don't know. I like hanging out with you guys!" she said, keeping her eyes on the back of Iggy's head. Iggy sighed, picking at his fingernails. Fang reached his arm over and put it around Iggy's shoulder. Ella frowned.

"You okay?" Fang asked him, rubbing his shoulder.

"Yah. Just…I don't know. Woke up on the wrong side of the bed, I guess. I'll feel better when we get to the beach." He said with a smile.

"Iggy you know it was eight years ago today that we met?" Ella said, rather randomly from the back seat.

"Oh." Iggy replied, unsure of what to say. "That's kind of cool. Fang remember when we met?" Iggy asked, not wanting to give Ella the wrong idea. He was amazed at how persistent she was. He had been with Fang for six years, and Ella was still trying to rekindle something between them hardly existed at all.

"I remember." Fang said. "They threw you into the crate next to me and the rest is history." He smiled.

"Sounds about right." Iggy said with a sad sort of chuckle. Pretty pathetic. Your hair was long then, just like now."

"My hair's long now too." Ella piped. "Just like Fang's."

"Sorry I…didn't notice." Iggy said, trying to be nice. Ella always did this. She always tried to get Iggy away from Fang and back with her.

"That's okay…" she said. "Remember when I read you those books when you first came to live with us? You used to like that, remember?"

"Yah I remember." Iggy said, trying his best to sound genuine. He always let Ella read books to him when he was living with her mom, but he hated it. It made him feel like a helpless little kid, not to mention he could read by himself. Ella read him picture books, too, which made him feel even more stupid and helpless.

"does Fang read you books?" she asked. Iggy closed his eyes.

"Um…no not really." He answered sleepily. Iggy always fell asleep in the car. He couldn't help it. As hard as he tried to stay awake, he just never could.

"I could read to you when we get back. That would be fun." She said, grabbing Iggy's hand that rested on the center console.

"Uh…maybe…" he said, gently tugging his hand away, but Ella wouldn't let go, and Iggy didn't want to start a fight, so he just let her hold it as he fell asleep. Fang sighed. He knew Iggy wasn't attracted to Ella at all, and he knew Ella knew it too, so he didn't bother saying anything. Ella was a nice girl. She cared about Iggy, and he didn't want her to be upset. He only hoped she wouldn't do something crazy later…

Fang placed a hand gently on Iggy's shoulder to wake him up once they were in the sandy beach parking lot. It was very sunny, and the waves lapping against the pebbly shore were small and calm. It wasn't an ocean beach, but an inland bay, and the water was smooth and shallow and warm, perfect for swimming. Iggy loved being there. He loved the sound of the water and feeling for sea glass in the shallow water.

"Wake up, sleepyhead." He smiled. Iggy's eyes fluttered open, his foggy gray pupils dilating in futilely in the light. He returned the smile. Fang took him in his arms and more or less carried him out of the truck, then placed him gently on the ground.

"I can get out of a car, Fang." Iggy said with a meek grin.

"I know you can." He replied.

"So why do you always help me?"

"Because I love you." He said, taking Iggy in his arms. Ella slipped out of the back seat, casting her eyes down at Fang and Iggy. After a short moment, Fang released him and walked to the back of the truck where Ella was waiting to help with the coolers. Fang opened the tailgate, noticing Ella's distress. "You okay?" he asked her, lifting the largest cooler and placing it on the ground.

"Oh yah I'm fine!" she replied, covering up her distress with a thick mask of false happiness.

"You sure?" he asked again. Ella nodded. "Alright…" Fang said, handing her the smaller of the two coolers. "Iggy come here and give Ella a hand, okay?" he called. Iggy walked in the direction of Fang's voice until their hands met. Fang then handed him the handle to the cooler he was to carry with Ella, and they all paraded onto the beach with the others.

Ms. Martinez laid out the beach blanket beside the coolers and kicked off her flip flops. Nudge did the same, laying on a towel, enjoying the warmth. Angel, Gazzy, Ella, Dylan and Max all headed to the water. Fang took Iggy's hand and together they started walking down the beach.

Iggy was very fair and burned easily, so he had on a long sleeved tee shirt to keep the sun off and keep him warm in the occasional gust of wind. Though he had been engineered to be tough as nails in a fight, he was still skinny and pale and got cold easily.

"Was Ella bothering you in the car?" Fang asked after a moment of walking quietly. Iggy shrugged.

"Not really…I don't really care. I just don't want to make her upset. I mean, we did sort of have a thing going when we were younger."

"Yah I know…You always make everyone's problems your problems. I wish you wouldn't do that. You don't deserve to have the weight of the world on you."

"I just want everyone to be happy."

"I know. But sometimes you have to make _you_ happy, you know?"

"But you make me happy, so I don't have to make myself happy. That's your job." Fang smiled, squeezing Iggy's hand, his other hand wrapped around the little box in his pocket.

It wasn't long before the two ran into a group of girls walking down the beach towards them. There were about five of them, three of them in skimpy bikinis, the other two in short dresses. All of them were thin and attractive, with long blonde hair and killer tans. Iggy heard them laughing and grinned at Fang. One of them ran right into Iggy, on purpose, of course, then smiled at him.

"Wow how stupid of me!" she giggled, grinning dumbly at Iggy.

"No problem. My fault." He replied with a smile, his eyes darting around aimlessly.

"Awww you're such a cutie!" she said with a smile. One of the other girls went up to Fang.

"He's got a cute friend too." The second girl said. This always happened to them when they went to the beach. Girls were all over them. It was sort of pathetic, actually, but they got a kick out of it, and they were always sure to hang around with them for a while before telling them they were together. They didn't want to dash their hopes right away, plus they usually got a free drink or ice cream out of it.

"Whoa your eyes are beautiful!" one of the girls in a dress said to Iggy.

"Thanks." He said quietly with a smile, casting his eyes down, his cheeks turning a rosy pink.

"OMG look how cute he is!" one of the other girls said to her friend. "I love shy guys!"

"Would you ladies like to get an ice cream up at the shack?" Fang asked with a charming smile.

"Yes!" one of the girls blurted out right away.

"I guess if you guys want to." Another one said, blushing a deep pink.

"Okay." Fang smiled. "Come on, Ig."

"Where are you?" he asked, a tad disoriented with all of the giggles and chatter from the girls. Fang grabbed his hand.

"Oh wow are you blind?" one of the girls asked, taking Iggy's hand. He let her, but didn't exactly hold it back.

"Yah." He said with a meek grin. For some reason girls always found that highly attractive, but he didn't know why.

"Awww that's so sad! How come?"

"Oh, uh…" he hated it when people asked that. He had to lie, and he hated lying. "Car accident." He said. "It was a long time ago."

"Oh no I'm sorry." Another girl said as they walked up the beach.

"It's cool. Fang's got me covered." He turned to Fang and smiled.

"Fang…that's a cool nickname." One of the girls said, trotting up next to Fang. Iggy smiled, covering a laugh. Nobody thought Fang was his real name.

When they got to the small ice cream shop just off of the beach, Fang smiled and helped Iggy take a seat at the bar. All of the girls followed suit. There was an older man behind the counter.

"Seven." Fang said with a smile.

"You're a generous kid, aren't ya?" the shop owner said. The girls all giggled.

"You are the nicest guys ever!" one of the girls said as she ate her cup of ice cream.

"Totally. You guys are adorable." Iggy smiled, pushing up his sleeves, for the sun was beating down on his back. He dipped his finger into the ice cream and dabbed it on Fang's nose, the cold startling him. Fang laughed. The girls watched as Fang wiped the ice cream off of his nose and took Iggy's hand, then gave him a quick kiss. One of the girls looked like she might cry, while most of the others just sat quietly, blushing. One of them laughed and so did Fang and Iggy.

"Wow I had no idea!" one of them giggled.

"Aw and they still bought us ice cream!" another added.

"Guess we don't have to worry about who's dating who, then."

"Sorry." Iggy smiled.

"That's okay. You two sure know how to show some girls a good time." One of the girls said with a smile, giving Iggy a little kiss on the cheek before leaving.

"Yah you guys are really sweet." Another said as she left. The rest shortly followed suit, laughing and talking just as they had before. It wasn't long before Max and Dylan came over.

"There you are! What were you guys doing?" Max asked.

"Getting ice cream." Fang answered, holding Iggy's hand.

"Having some fun with the girls?" Dylan asked.

"Just making friends." Iggy said with a smile.

"Yah that's exactly what it looked like." Dylan retorted coldly. Fang gave him a quick glare. "Having a little trouble with a wondering eye, I guess, huh Fang?"

"Just having a little fun." He replied with a smile, trying to keep his cool.

"Well, I mean, Iggy wouldn't know."

"Lay off, Dylan." Fang said, a bit more threateningly.

"Alright, alright, enough." Max said, taking Dylan's hand. It's no big deal."

"I just don't want anybody taking advantage of Iggy."

"Since when do you care so much?" Iggy asked tentatively, continuing his ice cream. Iggy was good at coming across as aloof, even when he was angry. Dylan had been on his nerves ever since he met him. It was amazing that they knew each other for so long and still didn't really like each other…at all. Fang had made friends with Dylan, but he still got on Fang's nerves often, especially when it came to Iggy. He wished Dylan would just keep his nose out of places it didn't belong.

"Come on, Ig. Let's keep walking. We'll head over to the rock." Fang gave Max a wink, telling her to get everyone. He was going to ask Iggy.

"Okay." Iggy replied with a smile. Max pulled out her cell phone and texted Ms. Martinez.

A few minutes later, Fang and Iggy were sitting on top of their rock nestled in among the grasses and beach roses. Iggy loved the way the flowers smelled and how warm the rock was on his feet. They always sat on that rock. It was the perfect place to just be quiet and be together.

They sat there for a long while, Iggy leaning against Fang, Fang running his hand through Iggy's hair. Iggy was nearly asleep when he heard footsteps coming up the beach. He recognized them as Nudge and Angel, followed by the rest of the family. All of them were quiet except for Nudge, who giggled.

"Hey guys." Iggy said, sitting up. "What's up?" Fang grabbed Iggy's hands and stood him up. Fang dropped to his knee and took Iggy's hand, and Iggy quirked an eyebrow. A camera shutter clicked and someone giggled again.

"Iggy I have to ask you something very important." Fang said with a smile. Iggy seemed to know what the question was going to be. His eyes became glossy with tears and he covered his mouth with his free hand.

"Okay" he answered, his voice cracking.

"wanna get married?" Fang asked very casually. Max laughed.

"Fang you're supposed to say something a little more sentimental!" she said. Fang stuck his tongue out at her. It was then that Fang realized Iggy hadn't reacted at all yet. His eyes were closed but still teary, but he had closed them, and his hand was still over his mouth. His cheeks turned a bright shade of pink, and his hair hung around his face. He stood perfectly still.

Fang stood up slowly, casting a worried glance to the rest of his family who were all waiting with baited breath, except Dylan, who looked completely uninterested. Fang put his arms around Iggy and pulled him into a hug. Iggy buried his face in Fang's shirt.

"Hey," he whispered to Iggy. "It's okay. We can wait. Don't worry. We'll wait until you're ready." Iggy shook his head 'no', but Fang wasn't sure what he meant. "okay?" Iggy nodded and lifted his head. "Are we going to do this now?" Iggy was silent for a minute, his eyes darting around quickly and aimlessly. Fang held his breath. Nudge snapped another picture. Iggy smiled and nodded.

"Yah. Yah I think it's a pretty good idea." He threw himself at Fang, wrapping his arms around Fang's neck, nearly knocking them both off of the rock. Everyone clapped, everyone but Dylan. Nudge snapped about ten more pictures.

"I am so happy you said that." Fang said, kissing him.

"I am too." Iggy replied.

Dylan ran down the beach and took a dive into the water casually, beckoning everyone to join him, trying to change the focus of the situation. Fang looked at him over his shoulder, watching as everyone slowly dispersed. Dylan was really becoming a problem, and Fang didn't like it, but this was his moment. This was his and Iggy's moment, and he wasn't going to let Dylan ruin it.

"Love you Igs."

"Love you too Fang."


End file.
